An F/A-18E Super Hornet, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 151, launches from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln during the ongoing conflict with Iran, on July 31, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed concerns on Friday (August 14, 2026) over living conditions and the mental health of service members on a U.S. aircraft carrier deployed against Iran and said the ship would soon rotate out.
Asked by reporters whether family members were worried about the situation on the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, Mr. Trump said “no, they’re not.”
Mr. Trump also rejected that the ship — now in its ninth month at sea — had been deployed for too long. “No, no, no, not nearly enough,” he said.
Mr. Trump confirmed reports that the Abraham Lincoln was due to be rotated with a replacement aircraft carrier as the United States remains locked in a stalemate with Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz and the country’s nuclear program.
“That ship is moving right now or very shortly and it’s being replaced with another very similar ship,” Mr. Trump said.
U.S. media, including specialist military publications, have quoted multiple relatives of crew members saying living conditions have deteriorated on the Abraham Lincoln. There have also been reports of several suicide attempts.
Democratic politicians are calling for probes into the situation.
The Lincoln departed California in November 2025 for duty in the South China Sea and was rerouted to West Asia before U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran that began February 28.
Jonathan Schroden, chief research officer at the Center for Naval Analyses, told AFP that carrier strike groups are generally designed for six-month deployments for reasons “including sailor welfare.”
Published – August 15, 2026 12:17 am IST
