One of Donald Trump’s more unnerving habits is the frequency with which he assumes that he has limitless expertise in countless areas. Just last week, for example, the president boasted, “I know more about grass than any human being, I think, anywhere in the world.”

For those who keep an eye on the Republican’s rhetoric, the phrasing was familiar. Trump has also claimed to be among the planet’s most authoritative sources on construction. And tariffs. And automation. And firearms. And healthcare policy. And drone technology. And agriculture. And the federal judiciary. The list goes on and on.

To be sure, the president isn’t actually an expert in any of these areas, but he’s nevertheless convinced himself that he has unrivaled knowledge in these and other subjects, entitling him to make bold declarations, many of which don’t make sense.

This came to mind reading the latest reporting from The Wall Street Journal on Trump’s newfound interest in, of all things, catapults.

President Trump has directed the Navy to tear out a complex system for launching jet fighters from its aircraft carriers and instead go back to using steam catapults, a move Navy officials have fought for years and will likely cost billions of dollars.

U.S. officials say Trump signed a national security memorandum Thursday directing the change, which would involve removing the electromagnetic catapult system used by the ships in the Gerald R. Ford class of carriers.

The president’s interest in this is not altogether new. Nearly a decade ago, he claims he spoke to a sailor who had positive things to say about steam catapults, and soon after, he told Time magazine that he directed the Navy to re-embrace “goddamn steam.”

As the Journal’s report noted, however, “top Navy and industry leaders have resisted the move because of the enormous expense.”

The president is apparently unfazed by the Navy’s objections — it’s not as if Navy leaders can be counted on to know what’s best for their own aircraft carriers, right? — and the White House confirmed the Journal’s reporting by posting a copy of Trump’s official directive, sent Thursday to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, to its website.

Although the presidential instructions came as something of a surprise, it was less than a year ago when Trump hinted that this was coming.

Last October, during a trip to Asia, the Republican spoke to U.S. troops stationed in Japan, where he delivered some odd and unscripted comments about the use of steam for catapults on board warships. “They spent $993 million on the catapults trying to get them to work,” Trump said at the time. “And they had steam, which worked so beautifully, and it has for 50 years, right? So, we’re gonna go back. Seriously, fellas, I wanna make that change. I’m gonna do an executive order.”

In the same remarks, explaining his concerns about electromagnetic systems on Navy ships, Trump added, “You take a little glass of water and you drop it on magnets. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Comedians put the comments to good use. In fact, a few days later, NBC’s “Late Night” host, Seth Meyers, had a little fun at the president’s expense, joking, “This guy spends more time thinking about catapults than Wile E. Coyote.” He added, “Next, he’s going to start complaining about how our troops don’t tie themselves to rockets anymore.”

Trump soon after wrote online that the host’s comedy is “probably illegal.”

Time will tell what becomes of the president’s latest efforts, though it’s once again facing a fresh round of pushback. Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona wrote via social media, “I’ve launched off the front of aircraft carriers hundreds of times, have a Master’s degree in aeronautical engineering, and am a test pilot and even I wouldn’t suggest to the Navy how to engineer specific systems on its ships. Donald Trump should stick to what he knows best — ballrooms, bankruptcy, and bulls–––.”

The senator soon after sat down with MS NOW’s Jen Psaki and added that the president is “a marginally failed real estate developer with multiple bankruptcies” who “shouldn’t be weighing in on systems on aircraft carriers.”

There’s been no word yet on whether the White House considers Kelly’s criticisms “probably illegal.”

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