On the 81st anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, President Donald Trump issued a message honoring the Greatest Generation, according to a new column in American Thinker. But the piece, written by Dr. Joseph Ford Cotto, argues that Trump’s real tribute came in the form of policy—specifically, a memorandum aimed at revitalizing American shipbuilding and new tariffs on drones and their components.
Cotto, who hosts News Sight and publishes Dr. Cotto’s Digest, writes that the anniversary message rightly praised the more than 16 million Americans who served and the 400,000 who died, from Pearl Harbor to Midway, Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. But he argues that words alone would be empty without action.
That action, Cotto says, includes a presidential memorandum that takes aim at years of Navy shipbuilding delays, cost overruns, and canceled programs. The column attributes the problems to overly complex designs and a hollowed-out industrial base, with competition and capacity having atrophied over time.
According to the column, Trump directed that the next aircraft carrier replace failed advanced systems with proven steam and hydraulic technology. The memorandum also calls for more direct investment modeled on successful foreign practices, with the goal of bringing jobs and training to American workers. While foreign builders who invest in the U.S. and train American crews may temporarily fill urgent gaps, the column says the bulk of future ships will be built in revitalized American yards.
A New Shipyard and a Drone Tariff Blitz
The column highlights two other elements of the shipbuilding plan: a fifth naval shipyard—the first in more than 80 years—to expand submarine and carrier repair capacity, and a new component repair center to keep critical submarine parts ready. Cotto also notes that Naval Sea Systems Command itself faces a full review and reform.
On the drone front, the column reports that Trump imposed tariffs on drones and their components to address what it calls a dangerous over-reliance on foreign suppliers, including China. The tariffs are tiered: 100 percent on the most sensitive large drones and those with thermal imaging, 25 percent on smaller systems, and lower rates for certain allies—provided those countries’ hardware and technology meet strict origin rules.
Cotto writes that these measures are designed to close supply-chain chokepoints and cybersecurity risks that adversaries could exploit, while also protecting the defense industrial base and creating American jobs. An onshoring program would reward companies that commit to building new factories in the U.S., the column says.
Midterm Framing
The column then pivots to the November midterms, arguing that Trump’s record demonstrates why voters who value national security should turn out—particularly if they are Republican or GOP-leaning. Cotto warns that if Democrats seize the House or Senate, they will obstruct efforts to put American workers, industry, and defense first.
Cotto claims that history shows Democrats prefer delay, red tape, and dependence on foreign suppliers, including China, over what he calls unambiguous America-first results. He also argues that a Democratic-controlled Congress would weaponize investigations and budgets, making life difficult for GOP presidential contenders ahead of the 2028 contest.
The column goes further, describing Democrats as “hijacked by unpopular hard-leftists” and accusing the party of surging “anti-Western, anti-white, and anti-Semitic sentiment.” It concludes that if Republican voters stay home in November, “then they are America-last.”
Cotto’s piece is an opinion column, not a news report, and its claims about Democratic intentions and the state of the party are presented as the author’s views rather than documented facts.
Source: www.americanthinker.com — https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/the-navy-and-the-midterms/