U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday downplayed mounting concerns over the extended deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln, saying the aircraft carrier’s record-setting time at sea supporting operations against Iran is “not nearly long enough.”
Speaking briefly to reporters before departing for New York, Trump dismissed reports that families of sailors aboard the carrier had raised concerns about its length. The deployment, now exceeding 260 days, has drawn scrutiny amid reports of mental health and supply issues among the crew.
“That ship is moving right now, or very shortly, and it’s being replaced with another very similar ship,” Trump said. Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said separately on social media that the Lincoln “will return home soon.”
The Lincoln has been supporting U.S. military operations against Iran. While hostilities have eased in recent weeks, the Navy has reimposed a blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, and the administration has not outlined a timeline for winding down the campaign. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday the military could maintain the blockade “indefinitely,” and dismissed reports of poor conditions aboard the carrier as “completely misrepresented.”
Democratic Senators Richard Blumenthal and Ruben Gallego are among lawmakers pressing the Pentagon for accountability over conditions on the ship. The Navy said it has not observed an increase in suicidal ideation or attempts aboard the Lincoln, though it has declined to release supporting data, citing operational security and patient privacy.
The USS George Washington departed Da Nang, Vietnam, last week and is expected to relieve the Lincoln, one of two U.S. aircraft carriers currently deployed in the Middle East.
