The US has 13 aircraft carrier groups — that’s more than the rest of the world combined. Even down to 9 or 10, that’s enough firepower to take ANYONE on...
Key word: "ANY ONE". We're already stretched too thin. In the 60s and 70's we operated 13-15 aircraft carrier battle groups ..... and we had no naval opponent of any stature. Now we have China to deal with, which is laying out pieces for a setpiece victory over the United States Navy that could end up being a civilizational loss for the West, like Manzikert in the Middle Ages (Turks defeated Byzantine Greeks in a close contest that led eventually to the Greeks' abandonment of eastern Anatolia and the Holy Land, the closure of Jerusalem to Christian pilgrims by the Turks, and the Crusades).
Consequences, consequences. You can't lose one to people like the Chinese.