Trump says USS Abraham Lincoln deployment 'not nearly long enough' as crew faces reported suicide attempts and supply shortages

Nine months at sea

The USS Abraham Lincoln departed its home port of San Diego on November 21, 2025, originally bound for the Pacific. It was redirected to the Middle East before the US-Israeli war with Iran began on February 28, 2026, and has spent more than 250 consecutive days at sea without a significant port visit, according to The Guardian. Reuters reported the deployment as exceeding 260 days as of August 14. The carrier carries roughly 5,000 sailors and has had its deployment repeatedly extended, with the original return date set for May.

Reports this week from Navy Times and Stars and Stripes described shortages of supplies and water, plumbing problems, mold in showers, defective toilets, rationed meals, and soap shortages. Crew members were reportedly working 12-to-16-hour shifts with no days off. The reports also described low morale, deteriorating mental health, and multiple attempts by sailors to jump overboard. Democratic Representative Mike Levin said family members had told him of mold in showers and broken sanitary facilities, along with shortages of basic provisions including soap, food, and toothpaste.

Iranian strike disrupts supply lines

The New York Times reported that the supply crisis stems partly from an Iranian missile and drone attack on a US Navy logistics base in Bahrain in the first days of the war. The base, which had served for decades as a supply hub for the fleet, was largely destroyed. With no alternative base within the region that was beyond the range of Iranian missiles, the Navy relocated its logistics operations to the British-controlled island of Diego Garcia, approximately 3,400 to 3,500 kilometers from the carrier's operating area in the Gulf of Oman. The extended supply lines contributed to the shortages aboard the Lincoln.

Former US Admiral Mike Franken told the New York Times that prolonged deployments take a toll on both sailors and ships, often requiring lengthy repairs.

“We don't have the capability to recover quickly from something like this. It will take years.”

Trump and Hegseth dismiss reports

President Donald Trump dismissed the concerns on August 14, telling reporters before a flight to New York that the deployment was not excessive.

“No, no, no. Not nearly long enough.”

Trump said the ship would soon be replaced by another similar vessel. The Wall Street Journal reported on August 14 that the US military was preparing to replace the Lincoln with the USS George Washington.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, visiting Panama on August 13, called the reports "completely misrepresented" and praised the crew. The Financial Times noted that the controversy marks a new test for Hegseth, who has purged several top generals and scrapped diversity initiatives in an effort to reshape military culture along the administration's "anti-woke" lines.

“The USS Abraham Lincoln has held the line for the country and they've done a fantastic job.”

A Navy official told The Guardian that based on available information, the command had "not identified an increase in reported suicidal ideation or suicide attempts aboard the ship," and said current reports confirmed continuous access to clean water, functional air conditioning, and healthy meals.

Congressional pressure and public fatigue

Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer called for Hegseth to be "fired immediately" in a post on X. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal demanded the administration explain what it was doing to support the crew, citing reports of supply shortages, sanitary problems, and deteriorating mental health. A group of Democratic lawmakers from the San Diego area sent a letter to the defense secretary seeking specific answers. At a town hall event in San Diego, a family member named Annabelle Loma said her husband had written that he hoped he would not wake up the next day.

Ernest Moniz, the chief US negotiator for the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran, told the Financial Times that Iran held the advantage in the conflict. The Financial Times reported that the carrier's struggles are adding to concerns about the depletion of US military resources related to the Iran war, on top of the expenditure of offensive and defensive munitions since the conflict began in February.

USS Abraham Lincoln (Aug 14, per Reuters)260

USS Gerald R. Ford (record, per NYT)326

USS Abraham Lincoln (Aug 14, per Reuters)

260 days

USS Gerald R. Ford (record, per NYT)

326 days

Data from the article text