Mark Kelly rips Trump over reported aircraft carrier overhaul, says stick to 'bulls***'

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) on Thursday tore into President Donald Trump for reportedly signing a memorandum directing the Navy to switch fighter jet launch systems aboard aircraft carriers, a move that is likely to come with a hefty paycheck. I've launched off the front of aircraft carriers hundreds of times, have a Master's degree in aeronautical engineering, and am a test pilot and even I wouldn't suggest to the Navy how to engineer specific systems on its ships. Donald Trump should stick to what he knows best - ballrooms, bankruptcy, and bulls***. On Thursday, Trump signed a memorandum titled Rebuilding the United States Navy and America's Shipbuilding Industrial Base, which directed War Secretary Pete Hegseth and acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao to provide the president with a plan to switch out the newer, more complex launch systems with steam and hydraulic systems and weapons elevators. Billions of dollars more they spent on electric catapults and they're not good. They're not nearly as good, too complex. The United States Navy has experienced a series of shipbuilding setbacks stemming from overly complex designs and iterative design change procedures, which have resulted in cost growth, delays, and cancellations. According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump's directive could cost billions of dollars and will require the next ship in the Ford class, named the Doris Miller, to be built with steam catapults and weapons elevators. All other ships added to the class will also use steam systems under the president's directive.