VIRGINIA January 5, 2026 – Secretary of War Pete Hegseth kicked off a nationwide “Arsenal of Freedom” tour on Monday with a visit to Newport News Shipbuilding, where he delivered remarks praising President Donald Trump’s policies for revitalizing American manufacturing and military strength.
Speaking from a podium bearing the seal of the newly renamed Department of War—reestablished by presidential order in September 2025—Hegseth addressed shipyard workers, emphasizing the administration’s focus on rebuilding domestic industrial capacity.
“A nation that cannot build things… is a nation in managed decline,” Hegseth said, echoing a key theme of his speech. “President Donald J. Trump looked at that managed decline… and he rejected it. In doing so, he unleashed a great American revival… a new Golden Age for America that you are all a part of building.”
The visit highlighted Newport News Shipbuilding, a major facility for constructing U.S. Navy aircraft carriers and submarines, as a symbol of the administration’s push to strengthen the defense industrial base. Hegseth toured the yards and administered oaths to new military recruits as part of the multistate tour aimed at rallying support for American manufacturing and recruitment.
Hegseth outlined core principles guiding the administration: putting America first, achieving peace through strength, and rejecting policies that lead to national decline. “We are in the strength business. You are in the strength business,” he told the audience.
The Department of War renaming, which reverted the Pentagon’s title to its pre-1947 name, has been framed by the Trump administration as a return to straightforward language reflecting the department’s mission.
Local officials welcomed the visit, with Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones noting the central role of shipbuilding in the region’s economy. The tour is expected to continue to other defense facilities across the country in the coming weeks.
A clip of Hegseth’s remarks, shared by the White House Rapid Response account on X, garnered significant engagement online, with supporters praising the message of industrial revival.
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