President Donald Trump brushed off concerns about mental health among U.S. service members aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln on Friday, telling reporters they have been deployed “not nearly long enough.”
The president spoke about the embattled aircraft carrier for the first time as he appeared beside Air Force One before heading to Long Island, New York, to visit a Nassau County Police Department training facility in Garden City.
“Family members of U.S. Service members are concerned about the conditions on board the USS Lincoln,” a reporter asked amid the cacophony of the jet engines above.
“No, they’re not,” Trump replied.
He added, “That ship is moving right now, or very shortly, and it’s being replaced with another very similar ship.”
Trump’s remarks came after a week of reports of a desperate situation aboard the Lincoln, which set off from California in November for a deployment that was supposed to end in May. It was extended as a result of the ongoing Iran war.
The aircraft carrier has reportedly been plagued by a lack of fresh food, mold and mildew in the showers, and deteriorating mental health, which may have pushed sailors to jump overboard.
“Have the deployments gone on too long?” the reporter asked Trump on Friday. “Are you worried about mental health concerns?”
“No, no, no. Not nearly long enough,” he said before boarding the presidential plane.
On Thursday, US Central Command took to social media to reject reporting of a dire situation, saying the ship “has maintained among the highest crew reenlistment rates (84.4%) of all aircraft carriers in the U.S. Navy.”
CLAIM: Over the past 48 hours, multiple media outlets have reported several false claims related to USS Abraham Lincoln's (CVN 72) deployment to the Middle East. One report alleged seven Sailors died in a brawl aboard the aircraft carrier and others have recently suggested a… pic.twitter.com/U1Hg6l1pjN
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) August 13, 2026
The statement went on: “The Sailors and Marines of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group remain resilient and resolved after more than 260 days at sea, 10,000 aircraft flights, and 1.5 million pounds of ordnance expended.”
Watch above via CNN.
The post Trump Says USS Abraham Lincoln Sailors Deployed ‘Not Nearly Long Enough’ as He’s Quizzed About Poor Conditions on Ship first appeared on Mediaite.
