In its heyday, the SS United States was a glorious ocean liner, a modern marvel of the world, and a prodigious example of U.S. shipbuilding and manufacturing at a time when U.S. manufacturing was arguably at its zenith. It was built during the Cold War in 1951 and is the country’s largest ocean liner ever constructed, a behemoth that is 100 feet larger than the Titanic. It set a record for the fastest ocean liner ever to cross the Atlantic Ocean during its maiden voyage in 1952, which still stands today.
It is a cherished piece of American innovation and history and a stunning example of engineering ingenuity. However, now, the SS United States needs the help of President Donald Trump. Otherwise, its fate awaits a final resting place at the bottom of the Gulf of America, formerly the Gulf of Mexico, as an artificial reef. However, if Trump has shown anything over his political career, it is his ability to turn the seemingly impossible into a reality.
Since 1996, the ship has been largely forgotten, docked at a pier in south Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In August, a judge ruled it could no longer stay there and gave the deadline of Sept. 12 to find it a new home. In October 2024, Okaloosa County, Florida, purchased the vessel for $10 million, with plans to turn the iconic ocean liner into an artificial reef.
The ship was supposed to be transferred several times from Philadelphia to Florida before a stop in Alabama, but there have been multiple delays. It’s almost as if divine intervention is preventing the ship from meeting its fate. Now, there needs to be a presidential intervention. Trump would have to act fast, as the ship’s voyage to its final destination has been delayed yet again, with the departure date now scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 19.
Admittedly, it could be too little, too late, but through the Antiquities Act of 1906, Trump would seemingly have the authority to declare the SS United States a protected historical landmark. The Antiquities Act typically focuses on designations on federal lands. However, ships have been designated as national historic landmarks in years past, including the USS Olympia, a ship from the Spanish-American War, located just a few miles from where the SS United States is currently docked in Philadelphia.
The National Historic Preservation Act permanently established this ship’s historical importance. Trump should use that as a precedent to give the SS United States the same designation. And, if neither of the aforementioned acts is sufficient legislation to save the vessel, something should still be done to preserve it. If there is a way for Trump or any U.S. legislator to save the legendary ocean liner, it should be done.
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Furthermore, Trump has shown a great fondness and appreciation for U.S. history. He has regularly stressed the importance of defending the country’s history and the significance of the nation’s historical artifacts, landmarks, and monuments. In 2020, he created a task force to build a National Garden of American Heroes.
Although an ocean liner, the construction of the SS United States was heroic. It is an example of the American mind and the brilliance of engineering. It’s a first-of-its-kind ocean liner that wowed the world with its size and speed. The nautical icon should be recognized for its historical importance and legacy.
