Trump Announces 'Golden Fleet', Judge Rules Deportations Illegal, Heritage Exodus

Summary

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Up First from NPR — December 23, 2025

Episode Title: Trump Announces 'Golden Fleet', Judge Rules Deportations Illegal, Heritage Exodus
Hosts: Steve Inskeep, Leila Fadel
Reporters: Quill Lawrence (National Security), Ximena Bustillo (Immigration), Sarah McCammon (Politics)

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Episode Overview

This episode of NPR’s Up First covers three major stories shaping U.S. politics and policy:

1. President Trump’s announcement of a taxpayer-funded new class of warships—the “Golden Fleet”—named after himself, and escalating rhetoric toward Venezuela.
2. A federal judge’s ruling that the Trump administration illegally deported more than 100 Venezuelans, stripping them of due process rights.
3. A significant exodus of senior staffers from the Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank behind Project 2025, reflecting broader divisions within the Republican party.

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Key Story 1: Trump’s Golden Fleet & Venezuela Threats

Segment begins: [04:03]

Main Points

• Trump’s Announcement:
  President Trump revealed plans for a “new class” of Navy battleships, to be named after himself. He claims these ships (“Golden Fleet”) will feature advanced weaponry—guns, missiles, and high-powered lasers (“artist renderings... shooting lasers”), including sea-launched nuclear missile capability, and be “100 times more powerful” than their predecessors. Initial production: 2 ships, expanding to possibly 25. Robots and American workers would build them.

  • Quill Lawrence (NPR): “[Trump] talked quite lyrically about this new class of battleship... 100 times more powerful than previous ships... built with robots, but also with American workers.” [04:36]

• Venezuela Pressure:
  Trump shifted to threats against Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s president, in response to questions about U.S. sanctions, military presence, and possible regime change.

  • Trump (quoted): “If he plays tough, it’ll be the last time he’s ever able to play tough.” [06:07]
  • The President did not specify any endgame should Maduro fall. There was a clear historical parallel to the uncertainty before the Iraq war.

• Escalating Military Actions:
  U.S. forces have increased “lethal strikes” on small boats allegedly carrying drugs—a total of over two dozen strikes, killing more than 100 people. Additionally, U.S. Coast Guard has begun seizing massive oil tankers: some sanctioned, some not, raising legal questions. The status of a third, ongoing chase at sea is unclear.

• Policy Uncertainty:
  Trump did not address legal frameworks for boarding/seizing vessels, nor rules of engagement if ship crews resist.

  • Quill Lawrence: “We’re really in uncharted territory. But the president wasn’t really focused on those details...” [06:48]

• Rhetorical Flourish and Diversion:
  During the hour-long press event, Trump also alluded to Obamacare, health care subsidies, “the Epstein files,” and a revived claim that the U.S. should take over Greenland.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Trump’s threat to Maduro:
  “If he plays tough, it’ll be the last time he’s ever able to play tough.” — Donald Trump [06:07]
• On the scale of U.S. force deployed:
  “We have a massive armada formed, the biggest we’ve ever had... in South America.” — Donald Trump [05:54]

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Key Story 2: Judge Rules Deportations of Venezuelans Illegal

Segment begins: [07:50]

Main Points

• Federal Court Decision:
  Judge James Boasberg ruled more than 100 Venezuelan men were illegally deported by the Trump administration without due process, after Trump invoked the 18th-century Alien Enemies Act.

  • Ximena Bustillo (NPR): “He has ordered the administration to return the men to the United States or provide some sort of due process hearings for them, even if that’s abroad.” [08:46]
  • The lawsuit, brought by six men, was certified as a class action, representing all 137 men sent to El Salvador.

• Human Rights Concerns:
  Deported men were held for four months in a Salvadoran anti-terrorism prison as part of a prisoner exchange, enduring alleged poor nutrition, unsanitary conditions, and sexual abuse.

  • One detainee recounted: “Secot as ‘hell on earth.’” [10:58]

• Legal Justifications and Repercussions:
  Trump administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act to justify the removals, labeling the men as purported gang members—without court evidence.

  • Judge Boasberg: The U.S. government “can’t be, quote, secretly spiriting individuals to another country without any oversight.” [09:29]
  • Judge previously threatened the government with contempt for ignoring orders to halt the deportations.

• Next Steps:
  The government is expected to appeal; Trump’s allies frame such judicial pushback as “activism” and accuse judges of partisanship.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Judge Boasberg’s order:
  “Any government can’t be, quote, secretly spiriting individuals to another country without any oversight.” — Judge Boasberg, via Ximena Bustillo [09:29]
• On the conditions faced:
  “One man spoke to my colleague... and described Secot as, quote, hell on earth.” — Ximena Bustillo [10:58]

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Key Story 3: Heritage Foundation Exodus Reflects GOP Split

Segment begins: [11:39]

Main Points

• A Significant Departure:
  At least 13 senior officials, including three team heads (legal, economic, data) have left the Heritage Foundation, moving to Advancing American Freedom—a think tank founded by former Vice President Mike Pence.

• Why Now?
  The departures are tied to mounting internal conflicts over the future of the conservative movement, especially the role of MAGA-aligned influencers.

  • Incidents sparking controversy include Heritage president Kevin Roberts’ video defending an interview with white nationalist Nick Fuentes, leading to internal turmoil and an apology.

• What’s Next for the Movers:
  Advancing American Freedom, led by Tim Chapman, is attempting to grow beyond its small roots and position itself at the center of conservatism’s future.

  • Tim Chapman (President):
    “A movement that has oriented around political personalities and specific political leaders is starting to realize those leaders are not going to be here forever.” [13:48]

• Heritage’s Response:
  The foundation remains influential due to its role in Project 2025, which shapes much of Trump’s policy agenda.

  • Andy Olivastro (Heritage):
    “It’s crystal clear to me that Mike Pence is still waiting for a train back to relevance... Heritage is already down the tracks.” [14:40]

• Larger Implications:
  Such fissures underscore an emerging divide within the GOP about post-Trump leadership and principle direction, particularly after Pence’s dramatic break with Trump during the Jan 6 certification.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the movement’s future:
  “There is an end date on their leadership. Whether it’s President Trump or other leaders.” — Tim Chapman (13:48)
• On Heritage’s relevance:
  “Heritage is already down the tracks, and we’re leading and we’re building something that will last.” — Andy Olivastro (14:47)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• [04:03] — Trump’s Golden Fleet Navy announcement, Venezuela threats
• [07:50] — Judge rules Trump-era Venezuelan deportations illegal
• [11:39] — Heritage Foundation exodus and GOP’s divided future

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Presidential bravado:
  “100 times more powerful than previous ships... built with robots but also American workers.” — Quill Lawrence, quoting Trump [04:36]
• On U.S. military escalation:
  “We're really in uncharted territory. But the president wasn't really focused on those details...” — Quill Lawrence [06:48]
• Human rights condemnation:
  “Described Secot as, quote, hell on earth.” — Ximena Bustillo [10:58]
• Internal conservative division:
  “A movement... is starting to realize those leaders are not going to be here forever.” — Tim Chapman [13:48]

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Tone & Style

The tone is brisk, analytical, and at times incredulous—particularly regarding the scale and pageantry of Trump’s announcements and the gravity of deportation consequences. Throughout, the hosts and correspondents maintain NPR’s signature balance of clarity, direct sourcing, and understated skepticism.

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For listeners:
This episode offers a snapshot of America’s current crossroads: a presidency driven by grand gestures and hardline rhetoric; judicial brakes on overreach; and the simmering struggle within American conservatism to define its future.

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Transcript

[A]

Steve.

[B]

Yes. Good morning.

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It's almost the end of the year.

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That's right.

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Yeah. And what's our favorite thing to talk about at the end of the year, all year?

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I don't know. How about if we talk about the value of public media?

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My favorite topic.

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There you go. It's what makes up first and everything you love from NPR. Unique.

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It's really been inspiring to me over the last few decades of being in public media to see how local coverage has expanded. And as digital paywalls rise elsewhere, NPR and its member stations provide news and information to everybody for free, regardless of their ability to pay.

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True.

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And so now we rely on your support more than ever to bring you up first and all of the other things that we do.

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It is really inspiring also that people have stepped up, people like Ben in Texas who says, this is a quote, I listened up first every morning. This free resource was with me through my years as a student, and I'm giving back so that other students and young people have an approachable way to learn about the world and current events. I love this because I run into students more than one, and I love.

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[B]

President Trump announced a new class of warships named after President Trump. He also issued a threat to the leader of Venezuela.

[C]

If he plays tough, it'll be the.

[A]

Last time he's ever able to play tough. What is the US Plan if they force a regime change?

[B]

I'm Steve Inskeep with Leila Fadel, and this is up first from NPR News. A federal judge says the Trump administration illegally denied due process to a group of Venezuelans deported to El Salvador. What's next for the men whose rights were stripped?

[A]

And what's driving an exodus from the conservative think tank behind Project 2025.

[C]

I think what's happening right now is that a movement that has oriented it around political personalities and specific political leaders is starting to realize that those leaders are not going to be here forever.

[A]

Stay with us. We'll give you the news you need to start your day. Support for NPR and the following message come from GoodRx. The holidays are here, but so is cold and flu season. Find relief for less. With GoodRx you could save an average of $53 on flu treatments plus save on cold medications, decongestants and more easily. Compare prescription prices and find discounts up to 80%. GoodRx is not insurance but works with or without it and could beat your copay price. Save on cold and flu [e-mail] upfirst.

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[A]

President Trump says the U.S. navy will spend money to build new warships.

[B]

The president announced he will name those ships after himself days after a board that he leads put his name on the Kennedy Center. The Navy's taxpayer funded tribute to Trump is expected to cost billions of dollars per ship. Trump announced his plan for the US Navy to honor him during a rambling press event as top aides stood by.

[A]

NPR national security correspondent Quill Lawrence is here to break this down. Good morning, Quill.

[C]

Good morning, Layla.

[A]

So why was the president talking about shipbuilding in the first place?

[C]

There's a general consensus that the US has lost its ability to build ships quickly, if at all. So this announcement about ramping up production has kind of been anticipated. But Trump talked quite lyrically about this new class of battleship that would have guns and missiles and high powered lasers. There were artist renderings that were shooting lasers. He mentioned a sea launched nuclear missile capability and he said they'd be 100 times more powerful than previous ships. And he said they would be built with robots, but also with American workers. The president said he would start by building two of these battleships and then ramp up to 10. And then he said there would be 20 or maybe 25 give a real time frame. And as you know, is his habit. He mentioned a lot of different numbers as his secretary of Defense and Secretary of State. Secretary of the Navy stood by for this hour long press event.

[A]

Okay, so a lot of big claims there about lasers and being so powerful. When we first heard of yesterday's press event, people expected some announcement about the US Pressure campaign against Venezuela. Did that come up at all?

[C]

Yeah. A reporter asked if U.S. sanctions and military action have been about forcing Maduro out. And here's what Trump said. We have a massive armada formed, the.

[B]

Biggest we've ever had and by far the biggest we've ever had in South America.

[A]

He could do whatever he wants. It's all right. Whatever he wants to do.

[C]

If he wants to do something.

[B]

If he plays tough, it'll be the.

[A]

Last time he's ever able to play tough.

[C]

Trump didn't answer when the journalists asked what his end game was. What happens if Maduro does fall? And I have to say, it was reminiscent of moments 20 some years ago when people were asking what the endgame plan was for Iraq post invasion.

[A]

Right.

[C]

But Trump also defended the lethal attacks on these small boats the US says are carrying drugs. We're now at over two dozen of those strikes. They've killed over 100 people. There was another one announced just last night, killed one more person. And now we're talking about bigger boats, not the battleships, but massive oil tankers that the US Coast Guard has started seizing.

[A]

Yeah, and on that note, what about the third oil tanker we've been hearing about, Quill? The one that the Coast Guard is chasing?

[C]

Already, twice this month, the US has boarded and seized a tanker. One's now docked in Texas, and one of the tankers was on the list of sanctioned ships, the other wasn't. So it's not clear what the legal framework is for taking them. And now there's this third possibility of, well, what if a ship refuses to be boarded? Do you blow that up as well? What exactly are the rules of engagement here? Do you kill the crew? We're really in uncharted territory. But the president wasn't really focused on those details or really focused on Venezuela. Over the hour, he made threats toward the President of Colombia. He was dismissive, but talked at length about the Epstein files. He talked about Obamacare subsidies, health care subsidies, and he revived his assertion that the U.S. needs to take over Greenland for national security reasons.

[A]

NPR's Quill Lawrence. Thank you, Quill.

[C]

My pleasure, Leila.

[A]

A federal judge has ruled the deportations of more than 100 Venezuelans to El Salvador were illegal.

[B]

Judge James Boasberg found the US Government violated due process rights and that the men deserve a hearing. Early in the Trump administration, the United States deported numerous men to a prison in El Salvador after President Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act. The judge's rule against that comes just as the detainees have received extra attention. The new head of CBS News, Bari Weiss, stopped the network from broadcasting interviews with former detainees on 60 Minutes over the weekend. The story still streamed in Canada. And on Monday, the block story showed up on social media across the United States.

[A]

NPR immigration correspondent Ximena Bestillo is covering the ruling about Seekot detainees and is with me now in studio. Good morning.

[D]

Good morning, Leila.

[A]

So just break down exactly what this order said from Judge James Boasberg.

[D]

Essentially, he has ordered the administration to return the men to the United States or provide some sort of due process hearings for them, even if that's abroad. And it's not necessarily clear how the government would facilitate this. The original lawsuit was brought by six men in that group mentioned earlier, and Boasberg certified the class in his order. And by doing that, they can represent the entire group of about 137 men who were removed to El Salvador. Remember, these were Venezuelan men that the Trump administration quickly removed from the country overnight back in the spring. Boasberg says that any government can't be, quote, secretly spiriting individuals to another country without any oversight.

[A]

Yeah. And it's been very shocking to see the treatment these men say they went through in a foreign anti terrorism prison. We'll get into that treatment later. Just remind us, though, I mean, we mentioned the Alien Enemies act, what legal authority the Trump administration administration alleged that allowed them to do this here?

[D]

Right. They say that they can use this 18th century law Steve mentioned earlier, the Alien Enemies Act. That's a wartime power. You know, the White House has accused the men without evidence presented in court of being members of the Venezuelan gang trend. The deportations prompted several legal fights over the use of this law, and it brought to the forefront also the administration's clashes with judges. Boasberg was among the judges to first question the use of the Alien Enemy's act to deport Venezuelans in this way. And the judge has threatened the government with contempt for disobeying his order to stop the planes.

[A]

There's been a lot of legal back and forth here over the fate of these men. What do we know about where they are now?

[D]

You know, the men, again, were originally from Venezuela, not El Salvador, and they have since been returned to their home country after four months in the prison. And, you know, this was done as a part of a prisoner exchange with the United States since they've recounted to NPR and other news outlets what they experienced in and this includes poor nutrition, unsanitary conditions, even sexual abuse. One man spoke to my colleague Sergio Martinez Beltran and described Secot as, quote, hell on earth.

[A]

And where does the case go from here?

[D]

You know, it's likely that the government will move forward with appealing the decision. Though we have not received an immediate respond to a request for comment, lawyers for the men say this ruling makes it, quote, clear the government can't just send people off. You know, one other thing to watch for is the Trump administration's political rhetoric around this case because Boasberg has been among the judges to receive the ire of Trump. And this is among the cases where the Trump administration has accused judges of being activists and wielding a partisan agenda.

[A]

NPR's Ximena Bustillo. Thank you, Ximena.

[D]

Thank you.

[A]

Some leaders at the influential think tank behind Project 2025 have left.

[B]

Yeah, the think tank is the Heritage foundation, and the former staff are joining a different group founded by former Vice President Mike Pence. This marks a division within the Republican Party as it debates who should speak for them and what they should stand for.

[A]

NPR political correspondent Sarah McCammon has been following all this and what it means for the gop. Good morning, Sarah.

[E]

Good morning.

[A]

So who are these Heritage foundation staff members and why are they leaving?

[E]

Well, so far, at least 13 former Heritage staffers have exited the organization. They're joining Advancing American Freedom, which is the think tank founded by former Vice President Mike Pence. And among that group are three senior leaders who were in charge of the legal, economic and data teams at Heritage. And Leila, this is really just the latest chapter in what's been an ongoing battle over the future of the conservative movement and the MAGA movement around issues like the role of far right online influencers who've promoted antisemitism and other extremist ideas. And you may remember those tensions were on display recently at Heritage after its president, Kevin Roberts, released a video defending Tucker Carlson's friendly interview back in October with Nick Fuentes, who is an avowed white nationalist and has previously praised Adolf Hitler, among other things. Robert's statement at that time sparked controversy inside Heritage that later prompted him to apologize for it. And then, Layla, just a few days ago, there was a very public clash between some prominent conservatives at Turning Point USA's annual conference in Phoenix. So this mass exodus from Heritage is just another signal of how divisive these issues have become.

[A]

And tell us about where they're going.

[E]

So Pence's group, Advancing American Freedom, has been a relatively small organization, but they appear to be making a play here for a bigger leadership role at a moment when the movement is divided. This move dramatically expands the organization's size. They're going from 18 employees to more than 30. And the group's president, Tim Chapman, told me this is a battle to define the future of conservatism and the Republican.

[C]

I think what's happening right now is that a movement that has oriented around political personalities and specific political leaders is starting to realize that those leaders are not going to be here forever. Whether it's President Trump or other leaders, there is an end date on their leadership.

[E]

And he says Pence's group hopes to bolster support for traditional conservative ideas like free trade and a less isolationist foreign policy.

[A]

And what about the Heritage Foundation? How are they responding to all of this?

[E]

I mean, Heritage is still a large and influential group. They, of course, are the organization behind Project 2025, as we heard the plan that's helped shaped many Trump administration policies. But it has been a tumultuous time for Heritage. Their chief advancement officer, Andy Olivastro, argues that Heritage is under scrutiny precisely because it's relevant.

[C]

It's crystal clear to me that Mike.

[B]

Pence is still waiting for a train.

[C]

Back to relevance, and that isn't coming. Heritage is already down the tracks, and.

[B]

We'Re leading and we're building something that will last.

[E]

And as a reminder, Pence unsuccessfully challenged Trump and others for the GOP nomination in 24. And he's been at odds with the Maga movement since January 6, 2021, when he certified the results of the 2020 election. So there are significant fissures which appear likely to widen as Republicans start thinking about their future after Donald Trump.

[A]

NPR's Sarah McCammon. Thank you.

[E]

Thank you.

[A]

And that's up first for Tuesday, December 23rd. I'm Layla Faulden.

[B]

Indeed you are. And I'm Steve Inskeep. Your next listen is Consider this. Or it can be. You can consider It. It's from NPR News. Up first gives you three top stories of the day. Consider this Drills down on Listen now on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[A]

Today's episode of up first was edited by Andrew Sussman, Anna Yukoninov, Jason Breslow, Lisa Thompson and Alice Wolfley. It was produced by Ziad Buch, Nia Dumas and sorry, Chris. Christopher is a very hard name for me to say.

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I cannot pronounce it, isn't that Tomas, Isn't that right?

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Right, Exactly. It was produced by Ziad Buch, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Zoe Van Genhven. Our Technical Director is Carly Str, and our supervising Senior producer is Vince Pearson. Join us again tomorrow. This message comes from the Council for Interior Design Qualification. Interior designer and CIDQ President Siyavash Madani explains the value of having an NCIDQ certification.

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