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Trump vs Lincoln
President Donald Trump dismissed concerns about conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, telling reporters at Joint Base Andrews that families of service members are "not" concerned and that the deployment has been "not nearly long enough."
“Trump says record USS Lincoln deployment 'not nearly long enough'”
Trump said, "That ship is moving right now, or very shortly, and it’s being replaced with another very similar ship," as the USS George Washington was described as en route to relieve the Lincoln.
The dispute centers on a record-setting deployment that left San Diego on Nov. 21, 2025, was redirected to the Middle East ahead of the war with Iran that began Feb. 28, and was originally scheduled to return in May.
NPR reported that a U.S. defense official not authorized to speak publicly said the George Washington is en route to relieve the Lincoln, which has been at sea for nearly nine months.
Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Chao said in a statement Friday that the Lincoln’s mission was extended because the conflict with Iran demanded it, and that "a small number of mental health cases were treated with no loss of life."
Families call it shame
Families of USS Lincoln crew members condemned Trump’s comments, with one grandmother, Karen Bramlett, telling NPR, "Donald Trump needs to be ashamed of himself to let them suffer the way that they're doing."
Bramlett said her grandson enlisted in the Navy about two years ago and that, while he told her he is "good mentally and physically, thank God," she said he is "just depressed" and "Those dreams have been shattered."
NPR also quoted acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Chao saying, "Meal plans were adjusted when fresh resupply was unavailable, without a single meal being missed," and that calls home were limited when the operational threat was too high.
Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-AZ, told NPR’s Morning Edition that the Pentagon’s handling was "not proper leadership" and said he wants a bipartisan oversight visit to the ship.
CNN reported that a crew member described morale on the ship as very low and said they had heard repeatedly about suicidal ideation by fellow crew members, while the Navy said in a statement to CNN it had not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship.
Rotation and accountability
The administration’s response is tied to a planned rotation, with ABC News saying a new aircraft carrier is headed to the Middle East to replace the Lincoln during a very brief gaggle at Joint Base Andrews.
“"highly contested environment where traditional supply hubs in the Middle East were disrupted by combat actions"”
PBS reported that the Pacific-based aircraft carrier USS George Washington has begun heading toward the Middle East as reports emerged of mental health and supply issues aboard the long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln.
PBS also said the Navy conceded the conflict created a "highly contested environment where traditional supply hubs in the Middle East were disrupted by combat actions," and that leadership prioritized mission-critical supplies "first food, then hygiene items, then mail."
Democratic lawmakers pressed for accountability, and PBS quoted Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal writing in a letter to Navy leadership that the Lincoln’s prolonged deployment is significant because it is occurring amid continuing military operations against Iran.
In parallel, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters during a visit to Panama that reports about conditions aboard the Lincoln were "completely misrepresented," while acting Secretary Hung Cao said on X that "the Lincoln was extended because the mission demanded it" and that "a small number of mental health cases were treated with no loss of life."
