Swagger made American naval presence credible

Was the Great White Fleet simply American swagger and a display of Roosevelt's big stick?

Partly, but its friendly visits also served the practical purpose of making American reach visible and credible without demanding tribute.

Swagger was part of the spectacle, but the voyage is distinguished from extracting tribute or issuing a direct threat. The visits amounted to a friendly greeting delivered with a firm handshake rather than an overt demand. Naval presence works only when other governments notice it, so fading into the background would have defeated the mission. Completing the voyage, even with British logistical help, demonstrated that the United States could move a battle fleet across oceans. The resulting message was that American interests and capabilities could no longer be ignored.