WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump said Monday that he approved plans for the construction of two new battleships, noting they will be the largest and most powerful naval vessels ever built.

"It's my great honor to announce that I have approved of two brand new, very large -- largest we've ever built -- battleships," Trump, along with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Navy Secretary John Phelan, told reporters in Palm Beach, Florida.

"They'll be the fastest, the biggest, and by far 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built," he added.

According to Trump, the ships would displace between 30,000 and 40,000 tons or more.

“Once completed, these new 30 to 40,000-ton plus vessels will be the flagships of the American naval fleet,” he said, adding: “There’s never been built (anything) like them.”