Trump dismisses concerns over USS Abraham Lincoln deployment

President Donald Trump dismissed concerns Friday about conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, saying the aircraft carrier’s record-setting deployment was “not nearly” long enough despite reports of mental health strain, supply disruptions and sailors attempting to jump overboard.

Speaking briefly with reporters before flying to New York for an event on falling violent crime rates, Trump rejected the idea that families of the carrier’s crew were worried. “No, they’re not,” he said. Asked whether the ship had been deployed too long, he replied, “No, no, no, not nearly enough.”

Trump also confirmed that the carrier would soon be replaced. “That ship is moving right now, or very shortly, and it’s being replaced with another very similar ship,” he said.

The USS Abraham Lincoln, carrying more than 5,000 sailors and Marines, left a base in San Diego in November and has spent more than 250 days at sea without a port stop, setting a U.S. Navy record, Al Jazeera reported. Its deployment had been expected to end in May but was extended. The carrier has supported U.S. operations tied to the war with Iran and, according to Al Jazeera, was also involved in a January military operation against Venezuela.

The scrutiny has intensified after Navy Times and Stars and Stripes reported multiple attempts by sailors to jump overboard as conditions aboard the Lincoln deteriorated during its ninth month at sea. A U.S. official confirmed that one sailor went overboard in early August. “The sailor was quickly recovered by an air wing search and rescue helicopter, treated by Abraham Lincoln’s medical department, and transferred off ship for follow-on care,” the official said.

At a town hall meeting with Navy leaders in San Diego last week, family members raised concerns about loved ones aboard the ship, Stars and Stripes reported. One spouse among roughly 200 relatives said her husband had texted her that day saying “he hopes he doesn’t wake up tomorrow.”

The Navy has denied that mental health incidents are increasing. A U.S. official told Al Jazeera the Navy had “not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship.” The official said the carrier has five chaplains, one psychologist, one social worker, three behavioral health technicians, one embedded integrated prevention coordination counselor and an emotional support dog on board.

The Navy declined to provide data, citing operational security and patient privacy concerns. Another U.S. official said the Lincoln is “operating in a highly contested environment where traditional supply hubs in the Middle East were disrupted by combat actions,” adding that Navy leaders had “prioritized mission-critical supplies: first food, then hygiene items, then mail.” The official said reports from the ship confirmed “continuous access to clean water, functional [air conditioning], and healthy meal options.”

Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao also pushed back Friday, saying “sailors and marines are expected to dig deep” and accusing the media of “trying to paint our warriors as victims.” His statement acknowledged that a “small number” of mental health cases had been “treated with no loss of life” and said “there is no question our young men and women have been pushed to their limits.”

Several Democratic lawmakers are pressing the Pentagon for answers. Senator Richard Blumenthal asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth what metrics the Navy is using to measure crew mental health and wrote: “What military objective is the continued deployment of the Lincoln intended to achieve in Iran, and how does the Department assess whether the carrier’s continued presence is necessary to accomplish that objective?” Senator Ruben Gallego has called for a bipartisan delegation to visit the ship.

Hegseth said Thursday that conditions aboard the carrier have been “completely misrepresented.” Another aircraft carrier, the USS George Washington, left port in Da Nang, Vietnam, last week and is expected to replace the Lincoln, one of two U.S. carriers currently deployed in the Middle East.