I wonder how at 15 tonnes the ship was designated as a destroyer. The Zumwalt is 50% heavier than the Ticonderoga class cruiser.
“Battleship” is a hard sell, politically. No one builds battleships anymore!
The Zumwalt is, in fact, basically a pocket battleship. It is multi-role, but land attack is a major focus. Imagine the USS New Jersey standing offshore from Lebanon in 1983 pounding the hills around Beirut. That’s pretty much what the Zumwalt would do.
And, of course, the railgun (which I don’t think is installed yet) would add to the capability.
Destroyers are not normally for “power projection” but I think the Zumwalt is.
Function rather than size.
Was not the Tico class based on an old destroyer hull? I know they were overloaded and top heavy.