Resolution criteria

• Resolves YES if, between Jan 20, 2025 and Jan 20, 2029 (inclusive, U.S. Eastern Time), the U.S. Navy officially names or renames any U.S. Navy vessel in honor of Donald J. Trump—e.g., “USS/USNS Donald J. Trump” or “USS/USNS Donald Trump” —as evidenced by an official Navy announcement and/or entry in the Naval Vessel Register (NVR). (navy.mil, navsea.navy.mil)

• Both new namings and renamings count; commissioned (USS) and Military Sealift Command (USNS) ships count. U.S. Coast Guard vessels, foreign ships, unofficial nicknames, and class names without a ship do not count. (law.cornell.edu, history.navy.mil)

• Resolves NO if no qualifying naming is announced/recorded by 11:59 pm ET on Jan 20, 2029. If the presidency ends earlier, the window closes at the end of that day.

Background

• The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) is the sole authority for approving ship names, per SECNAV policy and longstanding practice; statute also permits SECNAV to change a vessel’s name. (congress.gov, law.cornell.edu)

• Aircraft carriers are often named for presidents; on Jan 13, 2025, SECNAV named CVN‑82 “USS William J. Clinton” and CVN‑83 “USS George W. Bush,” indicating near‑term carrier slots are already assigned. (navy.mil)

• The NVR is the Navy’s official inventory and authoritative source for ship names and statuses. (navsea.navy.mil)

Considerations

• Many ship classes follow conventions (e.g., not typically named for people), which can limit opportunities; SECNAV can still deviate. (congress.gov)

• A Coast Guard cutter named for a different person (USCGC William Trump) exists; this would not qualify. (allhands.navy.mil)