You’ve probably seen the clips or heard the chatter. It sounds like one of those bizarre urban legends that only happens in the age of 24-hour news cycles. But no, it actually happened. During a visit to the USS George Washington in Yokosuka, Japan, in late 2025, Donald Trump stood before a crowd of sailors and launched into an explanation about why magnets and water just don't mix.
It was a classic Trump moment. High energy. Unfiltered.
The core of the rant was about the Navy's transition from old-school steam catapults to the new Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS). To Trump, this shift represents everything wrong with modern government: over-complication, massive budgets, and technology that he believes is too fragile for the "brutal" reality of the ocean. Specifically, he fixated on the idea that a simple glass of water could ruin the whole thing.
The Glass of Water and the Magnets
"You take a little glass of water, you drop it on magnets, I don't know what's going to happen," Trump told the troops. He wasn't just talking about a kitchen magnet. He was talking about the massive electromagnetic tracks that sling 60,000-pound fighter jets into the sky.
The logic he was pushing was simple:
- Steam is reliable.
- Hydraulics are tough.
- Magnets? Well, they're "digital" and "complicated."
He argued that while a hydraulic elevator can be hit by lightning and still work, these "new things" are a mystery. "I think I'm going to change it, by the way," he added, referring to the elevators on the newer Ford-class carriers. It’s the kind of talk that makes Pentagon engineers pull their hair out, but it clearly resonated with the sailors in the room who have spent years dealing with the "shakedown" issues of the USS Gerald R. Ford.
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Why Trump Hates "Digital" Catapults
This isn't a new obsession for him. This goes all the way back to 2017. In an interview with Time magazine, he famously complained that you have to be "Albert Einstein" to figure out the new systems. He’s consistently used the word "digital" to describe the electromagnetic system, even though "electronic" or "electromagnetic" would be more technically accurate.
To Trump, steam is "brutal" and "beautiful." He’s described the old system as seeing "steam going all over the place" and "planes thrown in the air." It’s visceral. It’s physical. The new EMALS system is silent and invisible, which seems to be part of why he distrusts it. He told the sailors in Japan that the Navy spent $993 million trying to get these things to work when they already had something that worked "so beautifully" for 50 years.
The Reality of EMALS vs. Steam
So, is he right? Sorta. But also, not really.
The USS Gerald R. Ford has definitely had a rough start. The EMALS system and the Advanced Weapons Elevators (AWE) were plagued by delays and reliability issues for years. When the Navy tries to cram ten brand-new, unproven technologies onto one ship, things break. That's a fact.
However, the Navy didn't switch to magnets just to be "modern." There are massive tactical reasons for it:
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- Weight Flexibility: Steam catapults are "all or nothing." They hit a plane with a massive hammer of pressure. EMALS can be "dialed in." This means it can launch heavy fighter jets or light, fragile drones without ripping them apart.
- Maintenance: Steam requires miles of piping, freshwater distillation, and huge teams of people to maintain. It’s a dirty, hot, and dangerous job.
- Sortie Rates: On paper, the electromagnetic system can launch planes faster than steam.
- Ship Longevity: Because the launch is smoother (the "acceleration curve" is flatter), it puts less stress on the airframes. This means the Navy’s $100 million jets last longer before they need repairs.
The "Albert Einstein" Problem
Trump’s claim that you need a genius to fix the new system isn't entirely a joke. On an older carrier, if a steam valve leaks, a sailor with a wrench can often fix it. If a high-power electromagnetic controller fails on a Ford-class ship, you're looking at software diagnostics and modular part replacements.
"The steam, they say they can fix it with a hammer and a blowtorch," Trump claimed. While that's an exaggeration, it captures a real anxiety in the military about "repairability" in a war zone. If you're in the middle of the Pacific and your "digital" catapult has a software glitch, you can't exactly call tech support.
Can He Actually Order a Return to Steam?
During the speech, Trump vowed to sign an Executive Order to mandate steam for all future carriers. "I’m going to sign an executive order. When we build aircraft carriers, it’s steam for the catapults and it’s hydraulic for the elevators. We’ll never have a problem," he said.
Here’s the catch: You can't just "swap" them.
The Ford-class was designed from the keel up to be an electric ship. It doesn't have the massive piping or the boiler capacity needed to run steam catapults. To go back to steam, the Navy would have to completely redesign the interior of the next three carriers currently in the pipeline.
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Experts from groups like the US Naval Institute (USNI) and various defense think tanks have pointed out that a mid-stream redesign would likely:
- Cost billions of dollars in "sunk costs."
- Delay the delivery of new ships by years.
- Require more crew members (which the Navy is already struggling to find).
The Political Theater of Tech
Trump’s focus on trump explains water to the navy is as much about branding as it is about engineering. He likes "proven" things. He likes things he can see working. By framing the high-tech catapults as "stupid" and "delicate," he positions himself as the common-sense leader fighting against the "pointy-headed" bureaucrats in Washington who want to spend billions on fancy toys that don't work.
Honestly, the "water on magnets" comment is probably the most "Trump" part of the whole saga. In reality, naval magnets are sealed, shielded, and designed to operate in one of the most corrosive, wet environments on Earth. They aren't going to short out because someone spilled a Perrier. But as a metaphor for "fragility," the image worked for his audience.
What Happens Next?
If an Executive Order actually comes down, it will trigger a massive fight between the White House, the Pentagon, and Congress. Most Navy leadership has publicly stated they are committed to EMALS now that the "teething" problems are mostly resolved.
The USS Gerald R. Ford has already completed successful deployments. The data shows the system is working, even if it took a decade and a lot of taxpayer money to get there.
Actionable Insights for Following This Story:
- Watch the Budget: Keep an eye on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This is where the actual money for carrier design is allocated. If there's a shift back to steam, it will show up here first.
- Follow the Ford: Monitor the "Sortie Generation Rate" of the USS Gerald R. Ford. If the ship continues to meet its launch goals during active deployments, the argument for returning to steam loses its teeth.
- Check the Elevators: The magnets aren't just in the catapults; they are in the Advanced Weapons Elevators. Watch for reports on "AWE reliability." If those elevators fail in a high-stress exercise, expect the "water and magnets" rhetoric to ramp up again.
The debate isn't really about magnets. It's about how much we trust "perfect" new technology over "reliable" old gear. For the Navy, the future is electric. For Trump, the future should look a lot more like the past.