According to reports from The Guardian and The New York Post, on August 17, President Trump stated he had received word that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln is “being maintained very well.”
When a reporter asked if there was enough food on the Lincoln, Trump responded, “That’s a fake story by CNN.”
“The Lincoln has been there for a while, quite a while,” Trump said, but noted that over the years, some ships have had even longer deployments.
Trump mentioned a conversation he had over the weekend with a veteran, though he did not disclose the individual’s name.
Trump said, “He happened to be a retired admiral who said, ‘I’ve been on ships that were deployed longer than this one. I know people on the Lincoln, and they say the carrier is well-maintained and well taken care of.’ Others went there and found that to be true.”
Trump did not clarify who these “others” were.
The Lincoln began its scheduled deployment last November and arrived in the Middle East in January.
Earlier, multiple U.S. media outlets reported issues aboard the ship, including shortages of food and personal items, malfunctioning sanitation facilities, and interrupted mail service. As the deployment entered its ninth month, the strain on the crew has drawn attention.
On the 14th, Trump pushed back against concerns about the Lincoln, saying its deployment was “not nearly long enough.”
When a reporter mentioned that family members of the crew were worried about conditions on the ship, Trump responded, “No, they’re not.”