The plight of sailors on the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier expressed by their families were abruptly dismissed by President Donald Trump. It’s the latest troubling development for those troops deployed in the Middle East in the war against Iran that the administration began in February.
Trump spoke to reporters briefly at Joint Base Andrews last Friday (Aug. 14) who asked him about the growing concerns expressed by family members of service members on the carrier about its conditions. The 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard ship have been at sea for nine months – setting a dubious record of not making land for 260 days.
“No, they’re not,” Trump responded when told of the families’ fears for the service members’ mental health conditions. He then said the Lincoln would be moving out of the region soon, to be replaced by “another, very similar, ship.” That was later confirmed to be the USS George Washington by CNN.
When asked if the deployment was too long, Trump abruptly said, “No, no, no. Not nearly long enough.” He then turned to board Air Force One without another word to the gaggle of reporters.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth claimed that the reports were “completely misrepresented” and would further blame the media in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “The reckless & shameless ‘American’ media completely & intentionally misrepresent the USS Abraham Lincoln,” he wrote, going on to praise the strike group the Lincoln is part of in the Middle East.
Conditions reported by service members on the Lincoln describe mold growing in showers, broken toilets, severe reductions in meals served and long periods without laundry service. The Guardian reported stories of several sailors jumping overboard, revealing their frayed mental state.
The atmosphere has led to a severe drop in morale, according to reporting from Stars and Stripes. “Nothing to really look forward to at this point,” one sailor said, adding that the crew would be willing to forgo any stops just to return home as quickly as possible.
Representatives from the Navy have reported that they’re working to improve conditions onboard the Lincoln. Democratic lawmakers are calling out the Trump administration for its stance, with Representative Mike Levin (D-Calif.) blasting Hegseth for having “the nerve to look their families in the eye and call them liars.”
