President Donald Trump appeared on Sunday to reveal the U.S. had conducted another strike on an alleged cartel drug boat as he celebrated the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush.
The president, joined by first lady Melania Trump, thanked the Navy for helping carry out the strike.
"But, you know, it's a pretty tough thing we've been doing. But you have to think of it this way," Trump continued
"Every one of those boats is responsible for the death of 25,000 American people and the destruction of families. So when you think of it that way, what we're doing is actually an act of kindness. But we did another one last night. Now we just can't find any."
The president also touted the strength of the military as he warned other countries not to attack the U.S., or there would be a price to pay.
"Every tyrant and adversary on the planet knows their choice is very simple: it's leave America in peace, or be blown up in fire and fury never seen before. All over the world, people know of the skill, nerve, swagger, and sheer attitude of the boldest and most daring pilots on the sea," he said.
Trump told the sailors he was on board for a pay increase for service members.
"I'm supporting the across-the-board pay raises for every sailor and service member in the United States armed forces."
Trump also pledged "the largest ever investment in our military history," which he said will go toward revitalizing shipyards.
Most of Trump’s speech focused on highlighting the history of the Navy and the wartime actions it has taken, along with praising the sailors in attendance for their hard work and dedication to serving their country while taking shots at how the U.S. fought wars in the past.
"Problem with Vietnam -- we, you know, we stopped fighting to win. We would have won easy. We would have won Afghanistan easy would have won every war easy. But we got politically correct. Let's take it easy. It's -- we're not politically correct anymore. Just so you understand. We win. Now, we win. We don't want to be politically correct anymore," he said.
During one aside, Trump admitted, "This is a rally. This is a speech of love."
Trump also touted himself as the peace president, quipping the sailors might be mad at him because he ends wars instead of sending them into battle.
"Maybe some of you will be angry. You'll say, 'What's he doing? We want to fight.' You know what, if we can solve them the way I'm solving them, we solved seven. We have another one that's taken 3,000 years, and we're pretty close," he said, appearing to allude to the negotiations with Israel and Hamas to end the war in Gaza. "But I don't want to talk about it until it's done."