The aircraft carriers prior to the Ford used steam catapults. Nuclear reactor plants make plenty of steam, and American carriers all have at least two.

That being said, a redesign to support steam catapults in the Ford class is asinine. The electromagnetic ones were a core design feature, and years of work went into making them reliable.

I’m reminded of something else I saw recently, A Good Girl with a Gun: https://youtu.be/pN9buwCCMuM

I’m sure at least one other person will get a kick out of it.