Would Donald Trump eventually have an aircraft carrier named after him, and would it still be a Ford?
Short answerA carrier bearing his name is expected. Whether it belongs to the Ford class or its successor depends on the length of the construction programme.
NotesA future carrier named after Donald Trump is expected, although the timing produces different predictions about its class. One expectation puts it in the successor to the Ford class; another allows for a long Ford construction programme comparable to the Nimitz run. Recent presidents remain divisive names in a polarised electorate. Naming a ship after a president also creates a constituency against its cancellation, including voters who otherwise have little interest in carrier procurement. Historic names such as Lexington and Saratoga carry naval prestige but offer less of this political protection. Presidential naming can therefore help an expensive construction programme survive changes of administration.