An F/A-18 Super Hornet takes off from the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln in August 2026; note the steam trail from the carrier’s catapult. President Donald Trump has sought to reinstitute steam catapults in future US Navy aircraft carriers, based on a mysterious conversation from his first term nearly a decade ago. (US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Zoe Simpson)

Who Is ‘Bill Jones,’ the Mysterious Sailor Who Praised Steam Catapults to Trump?

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To defend his preference for steam catapults over EMALS on America’s aircraft carriers, Trump has cited a conversation with a US Navy sailor who may or may not exist.

William “Bill” Jones is about as generic a name as John Smith, and there is no shortage of famous individuals so named in the United States—governors, state officials, judges, athletes, and even the fourth US Secretary of the Navy. 

However, this week, another “Bill Jones” might be the bane for US Navy designers—as well as for the CEO of Huntington Ingalls Industries, the shipbuilder that oversees the construction of the nation’s nuclear-powered supercarriers. It was a sailor of that name who apparently told President Donald Trump during his first term that steam-powered catapults were superior to the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) intended to replace them.

In the summer or fall of 2017, months into his first term, Trump was frustrated by the delays with the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the lead vessel of a new class of nuclear-powered supercarriers. It was loaded with new, but largely untested systems, including the EMALS. At that point, the Ford was years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget, and Trump wasn’t happy about it.

“Trump seemed eager to apply his real-estate experience to the dazzlingly complex world of Pentagon procurement. He has said he grew tired of hearing excuses from the admirals and he wanted to hear from the people who operate the machinery,” The Wall Street Journal wrote.

Trump claimed to have spoken with a US Navy sailor who “loved the smell of steam,” which seems odd.........

© The National Interest