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Trump denies Lincoln strain
U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed concerns about conditions on board the USS Abraham Lincoln during its lengthy deployment as part of the US-Israel war with Iran, telling reporters “No, they’re not.”
““No, they’re not,” Trump said.”
Trump also rejected the idea that the aircraft carrier had been deployed too long, saying “No, no, no, not nearly enough.”
The USS Abraham Lincoln left in November from a base in San Diego, California, and it has spent more than 250 days at sea without a port stop, with more than 5,000 sailors and Marines housed on board.
Al Jazeera reported that the remarks followed reports documenting supply shortages and mental health strain on the USS Abraham Lincoln, including accounts of individuals attempting to jump from the ship.
The diplomatic context in the sources described a war that began with a US and Israel-led offensive on February 28, a June memorandum of understanding calling for an immediate pause, and a collapse last month amid a dispute over the Strait of Hormuz.
Replacement carrier heads west
While Trump downplayed the length of the deployment, he confirmed that the USS Abraham Lincoln would be swapped out soon, saying “That ship is moving right now or very shortly, and it’s being replaced with another very similar ship.”
The BBC reported that the USS George Washington, which was near Malaysia on Thursday, could arrive in the region in about nine days to replace the Lincoln after issues were reported on board.
BBC analysis and tracking data compiled by BBC Verify said the Lincoln had been at sea since 11 December on a deployment initially slated to end in May, and that the George Washington would reach Duqm port in Oman, about 500 miles off the coast of Iran, around 22 August.
CBS News reported that acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao wrote on X that the Lincoln “will return home soon as part of a planned rotation.”
In the same CBS account, a Navy spokesperson said, “We have not identified an increase in reported suicidal ideation or suicide attempts aboard the ship,” as the Navy pushed back on a mental health crisis.
Lawmakers press for inquiry
Democratic lawmakers in the sources pressed for scrutiny of conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, with Connecticut Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal asking for information in a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao.
““What military objective is the continued deployment of the Lincoln intended to achieve in Iran””
In that letter, Blumenthal asked, “What military objective is the continued deployment of the Lincoln intended to achieve in Iran,” and how the Department assesses whether the carrier’s presence is necessary.
The BBC reported that Jefferson Kelly, whose son Jackson is on the Lincoln, said “They should not be deployed this long,” adding that “It’s around the clock.”
NPR described the Lincoln’s deployment as record-setting, saying it had been at sea for more than 260 days, while also noting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the reports were “completely misrepresented.”
NPR also tied the situation to the war’s naval posture, stating that the Navy reimposed a blockade on Iranian ports in the crucial Strait of Hormuz and that the Trump administration offered no clarity on how it intends to wind down the war.
