Aboard USS George Washington, claims water disables magnets, orders return to steam

Speaking aboard the USS George Washington during his East Asia tour, Trump repeated his false claim that water destroys magnets and announced he would sign an executive order requiring future carriers to use steam catapults. 'You take a little glass of water, you drop it on magnets, I don't know what's going to happen,' Trump said. He promised: 'When we build aircraft carriers, it's steam for the catapults.' The Daily Beast headline: 'Trump, 79, Gets Confused Explaining Water to the Navy.' Magnetism is unaffected by water—but Trump was now using this scientific illiteracy to drive defense policy.

"You take a little glass of water, you drop it on magnets, I don't know what's going to happen." — Speech aboard USS George Washington, East Asia tour, October 28, 2025