December 23, 2025 • 3 mins
NBC News Radio National Correspondent Rory O'Neill joins us to discuss a news conference hosted by President Trump and Secretary Hegseth.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, along with our friends and other affiliates. NBC News
Radio is instrumental in the news that we bring you,
and we'll be into the new year unless Rory O'Neill,
NBC News Radio National Correspondent knows something to say.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
What have you heard? Okay, good morning.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Morning, kind sir. Talk to us a little bit about
this press conference yesterday. What did the President and the
American Flag Pocket Square Secretary Hegxas have to say?
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Yeah, it was Dona mar Lago and the big announcement
was that they're going to be building a new class
of battleship from back in the day. We haven't built
a new battleship since nineteen forty four. They want to
bring them back and they say that the new ship
will be called the USS Defiant and will be part
of a new Trump class of battleship.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Interesting, we are across the river from the Ford Presidential Museum,
as there is a real cool model of CBN seventy eight,
which is a whole new class of aircraft carrier, and
there is a USS Ford which is now deployed. So
what more do we know about this class of battleship.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Well, we know that it's not going to be your
classic sort of USS Missouri kind of battleship with the
big sixteen inch guns. This is really looks like more
of a souped up destroyer because they say it's going
to have tactical nuclear weapons, laser capabilities, much more self
defense also built into this, and there are questions though
(01:37):
about whether or not it will ever see the light
of day. The President said they can build this in
two and a half years. I think the Zumwalt class,
which is the last new class of ship that the
Navy tried and honestly failed with. They built three of
them and scrapped it, that was something like twelve years
in development. So yeah, getting this done in two and
a half really though, it's going to be the biggest.
(02:00):
It could be the biggest, most powerful and effective service
ship we've ever constructed.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Yeah. I guess the budget is the thing that pops
into mid nogging because we've been fighting about defense for
a while now.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Well, they just passed the Defense Appropriation Actor and there
is some money in there for ships, but exactly how
that's directed. And look, a lot of senators aren't going
to fight this if he wants to bring back shipbuilding
in a big way, because that means a lot of
jobs at new shipyards that would be built across the country.
So a lot of members of Congress love these kinds
of projects because they get to cut ribbons and smash
(02:34):
champagne bottles.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Will will we speaking of which, while we take a
little time off, will we be hearing a little bit
of you and the iHeart Radio Holiday Talk World.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
I'm a contributor to that fine program that's floating around
out there, but I am not anchoring it. I am
not at the Helm. Let's keep our ship narrative. Not
at the Helm. They needed two people to replace me.
That's sorry, of course they do. Happy New Year and
Merry Christmas. Rory O'Neill, thank you for all you've done
in the last year. Oh Merry Christmas, guys, Thanks very much.
(03:08):
You
Well, along with our friends and other affiliates. NBC News
Radio is instrumental in the news that we bring you,
and we'll be into the new year unless Rory O'Neill,
NBC News Radio National Correspondent knows something to say.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
What have you heard? Okay, good morning.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Morning, kind sir. Talk to us a little bit about
this press conference yesterday. What did the President and the
American Flag Pocket Square Secretary Hegxas have to say?
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Yeah, it was Dona mar Lago and the big announcement
was that they're going to be building a new class
of battleship from back in the day. We haven't built
a new battleship since nineteen forty four. They want to
bring them back and they say that the new ship
will be called the USS Defiant and will be part
of a new Trump class of battleship.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Interesting, we are across the river from the Ford Presidential Museum,
as there is a real cool model of CBN seventy eight,
which is a whole new class of aircraft carrier, and
there is a USS Ford which is now deployed. So
what more do we know about this class of battleship.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Well, we know that it's not going to be your
classic sort of USS Missouri kind of battleship with the
big sixteen inch guns. This is really looks like more
of a souped up destroyer because they say it's going
to have tactical nuclear weapons, laser capabilities, much more self
defense also built into this, and there are questions though
(01:37):
about whether or not it will ever see the light
of day. The President said they can build this in
two and a half years. I think the Zumwalt class,
which is the last new class of ship that the
Navy tried and honestly failed with. They built three of
them and scrapped it, that was something like twelve years
in development. So yeah, getting this done in two and
a half really though, it's going to be the biggest.
(02:00):
It could be the biggest, most powerful and effective service
ship we've ever constructed.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Yeah. I guess the budget is the thing that pops
into mid nogging because we've been fighting about defense for
a while now.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Well, they just passed the Defense Appropriation Actor and there
is some money in there for ships, but exactly how
that's directed. And look, a lot of senators aren't going
to fight this if he wants to bring back shipbuilding
in a big way, because that means a lot of
jobs at new shipyards that would be built across the country.
So a lot of members of Congress love these kinds
of projects because they get to cut ribbons and smash
(02:34):
champagne bottles.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Will will we speaking of which, while we take a
little time off, will we be hearing a little bit
of you and the iHeart Radio Holiday Talk World.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
I'm a contributor to that fine program that's floating around
out there, but I am not anchoring it. I am
not at the Helm. Let's keep our ship narrative. Not
at the Helm. They needed two people to replace me.
That's sorry, of course they do. Happy New Year and
Merry Christmas. Rory O'Neill, thank you for all you've done
in the last year. Oh Merry Christmas, guys, Thanks very much.
(03:08):
You
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Two Guys, Five Rings: Matt, Bowen & The Olympics
Two Guys (Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers). Five Rings (you know, from the Olympics logo). One essential podcast for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Bowen Yang (SNL, Wicked) and Matt Rogers (Palm Royale, No Good Deed) of Las Culturistas are back for a second season of Two Guys, Five Rings, a collaboration with NBC Sports and iHeartRadio. In this 15-episode event, Bowen and Matt discuss the top storylines, obsess over Italian culture, and find out what really goes on in the Olympic Village.