Monday, August 24, 2026

Monday, August 24

Families of USS Abraham Lincoln crew irate at Trump, Hegseth comments

Families told USA TODAY that substandard conditions on the ship have hurt their loved ones, despite what Trump officials have said.

A U.S. Navy sailor directs a Eurocopter AS-332 Super Puma helicopter on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which is supporting U.S. military operations in the war with Iran, during a replenishment-at-sea with fleet replenishment oiler USNS Henry J. Kaiser August 16, 2026.

Thousands of service members have been aboard the USS Lincoln for one of the longest stretches ever for a modern aircraft carrier. The Lincoln was scheduled to return from the Middle East in May amid the U.S. war with Iran. But personnel have sailed for three additional months and they haven't made a port call in more than 200 days.

In an exclusive interview with USA TODAY , families of service members shared accounts of substandard conditions on the Lincoln, disputing President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's claims that accounts of poor conditions on the ship are false.

•	Life for service members aboard. Service members' families told USA TODAY loved ones' mail is delayed, broken-down toilets take long stretches to get fixed and some relatives have lost weight. Some told their relatives they'd heard about a person who jumped overboard, something that two military outlets had reported, although officials characterized it as a person falling overboard.The long deployment has had a ripple effect on families who expected relatives to be home for weddings, graduations and other milestones.
•	What the White House says: The White House did not respond specifically to questions about the president’s remarks or conditions families mentioned on the ship. Anna Kelly, a White House spokesperson, said the president had restored “a focus on readiness, lethality, and supporting our warfighters at the Pentagon."
•	Is help on the way? USS George Washington reached the Middle East days ago to relieve the Lincoln, but Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal told USA TODAY : “I have yet to be convinced that they have significantly improved the means and routes to supply the George Washington any better than they did with the Lincoln."

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