US President Donald Trump on Friday dismissed concerns over the living conditions and mental health of service members aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been deployed in the Middle East for nine months, while confirming that the aircraft carrier will soon be replaced.
Asked whether families were worried about conditions aboard the ship, Trump said, “No, they’re not.” He also rejected concerns that the carrier had been deployed for too long.
“No, no, no, not nearly enough,” Trump said.
Trump Confirms Carrier Swap
Trump confirmed that the Lincoln would soon rotate out and be replaced by another aircraft carrier as the US remains locked in a confrontation with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz and its nuclear programme.
“That ship is moving right now or very shortly and
it’s being replaced with another very similar ship,” Trump said.
The nuclear-powered carrier left California in November 2025 for deployment in the South China Sea before being diverted to the Middle East ahead of US-Israeli attacks on Iran that began on February 28.
Carrier strike groups are generally designed for deployments of around six months, partly because of concerns over crew welfare, according to Jonathan Schroden, chief research officer at the Center for Naval Analyses.
Families Raise Mental Health Concerns
US media, including specialist military publications, have reported accounts from relatives alleging deteriorating conditions aboard the Lincoln, including shortages of basic supplies and severe mental health concerns. There have also been reports of sailors attempting to jump overboard.
The US military has said one sailor who fell into the sea on August 3 was recovered.
“A small number of mental health cases were treated with no loss of life,” acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said, accusing the media of “trying to paint our warriors as victims”.
Cao said the extended deployment was necessary because of the military mission. “The Lincoln was extended because the mission demanded it,” he said. “Our success depends on how we adapt.”
Democratic lawmakers have called for an investigation into the reported conditions.
The carrier has five chaplains, a psychologist, a social worker, a prevention coordinator and a dog named Captain Fathom to support the crew’s welfare and morale.
(With inputs from agencies)
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