President Donald Trump confirmed on Friday that a US aircraft carrier deployed against Iran will soon rotate out. He dismissed concerns regarding the living conditions and mental health of the service members aboard the ship. This statement comes as the military faces scrutiny over the welfare of its personnel during extended deployments.
Trump also rejected the idea that the ship — now at sea for nine months — had been deployed for too long. Democratic lawmakers are calling for an investigation. The president confirmed reports that the ship was due to be swapped out with another 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.
Asked by reporters whether family members were worried about the situation on the USS Abraham Lincoln, Trump said “no, they’re not. “No, no, no, not nearly enough,” he said. “That ship is moving right now or very shortly and it’s being replaced with another very similar ship,” Trump said. “A small number of mental health cases were treated with no loss of life,” acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said in a statement, blaming the media for “trying to paint our warriors as victims.
