All posts tagged "uss abraham lincoln"

'Oh my god': Internet ridicules Trump's 'tantrum' after president loses it at reporter

President Donald Trump's Oval Office press conference on Monday descended into chaos when the president blew up at CNN reporter Kristen Holmes.

"You're a loud, boisterous person," said Trump, shortly after bragging about his relationship with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. "Be quiet! Be quiet! You're a fake reporter, and you report fake news."

The outburst made the rounds on social media, with many commentators laying into yet another case of the president singling out a woman reporter for annoying him, and others criticizing the White House press corps for standing by and letting it happen.

"Trump hates women who speak up against him. Total misogynist," wrote political commentator Vince Wilson.

"Trump tantrums at yet another female reporter — @KristenhCNN — then lies USS Lincoln sailors trapped on board is a 'fake' story + lies other ships were trapped longer," wrote The Tennessee Holler. "He cares about himself, not the military."

"Before I even clicked the link to watch the replay, I knew if he was scolding, it was a woman reporter," wrote author and political commentator Amy Siskind.

"OH - MY - GOD! Trump is having a MELTDOWN in the Oval Office, yelling and screaming as millions watch on live TV," wrote Call to Activism. "He SNAPPED at a CNN reporter, raging: 'QUIET! You’re a fake reporter! You report fake news!' And dismissing the USS Lincoln disaster as a CNN fake report. Damn."

Scott MacFarlane of Meidas Touch, meanwhile, took aim at the press corps: "Trump shouts down journalist ... Next set of reporters to ask Q's ... declined to take the opportunity to stand up & defend their colleague."

Trump's USS Lincoln rant leaves 16-year-old lifeguard visibly uncomfortable

President Donald Trump left 16-year-old lifeguard Ryder Williams visibly uncomfortable Monday, turning a White House honor ceremony into an extended defense of the USS Lincoln's record deployment.

Williams was invited to the Oval Office to receive a civilian honor for a viral rescue this summer.

On July 25, Williams plunged into 8-to-10-foot surf at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz, California, to save a 10-year-old boy who had lost consciousness in the water, according to Good Morning America.

Trump opened the ceremony by praising Williams for the rescue.

"I understand he was a winner right from the time they first saw him as a lifeguard," Trump said.

Trump then turned to the USS Abraham Lincoln, the aircraft carrier at the center of a national debate over its record-setting deployment.

"It's been out there for a period of time, good period of time," Trump said of the ship. "But over the years, we've had them out there much longer."

Trump cited a retired admiral he said approached him at a group meeting over the weekend to vouch for the deployment.

"He said, I've been on ships that are out there much longer than that, sir. And I know people on the Lincoln, and they say it's beautifully maintained and beautifully taken care of. And other people went out, and they found out to be true," Trump said.

"It was fake news reporting from CNN," he snapped.

As Trump spoke, Williams avoided eye contact with the president and appeared visibly uncomfortable. After roughly 15 seconds, the 16-year-old put his head in his hands, appearing to wipe away sweat.

Trump's remarks appeared to be a response to a CNN report published Sunday by correspondent Pamela Brown, who spent three days aboard the Lincoln and described conditions as "messier than a single narrative."

The Lincoln has been at sea for more than 260 days, setting a modern record for a carrier deployment, ABC News reported.

Trump had addressed the deployment just three days earlier, on Friday, when a reporter asked whether it had gone on too long.

"No, no. Not nearly long enough," Trump said at Joint Base Andrews.

Ashley Rogers, the wife of an officer aboard the Lincoln, told Newsweek Trump's comments were "selfish" and "disconnected from reality."

Trump's new 'highly unusual' demands add strain to Navy already 'under the gun': report

President Donald Trump is making matters worse for already embattled Navy sailors with his latest demand for steam catapults, per Politico.

According to reporting on Friday, Trump's costly order for aircraft carriers to ditch their electromagnetic catapults for steam-powered systems is "compounding" pressures as the Navy deals with poor conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln.

"The Navy is really coming under the gun now," a U.S. official told Politico. "We have ships pushing their limits in the Middle East and the Caribbean with no end in sight."

On Friday, Trump brushed off concerns from sailors on the USS Abraham Lincoln, where sailors have reportedly been jumping overboard and attempting suicide. He said that their nine-month deployment has been "not nearly long enough." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth similarly downplayed the concerns, saying, "Some deployments are longer than others."

Trump and Hegseth "both owe these sailors and their families an apology," Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), the Senate Democrats' top defense appropriator, told Politico. "If they can't take care of the troops under their watch, they should step aside for leaders who can."

Trump's demand to switch the catapult systems on future aircraft carriers to steam threatens to put the Navy under more financial and logistical strain, as a government report estimated that the new battleships are already expected to cost billions more than anticipated, Politico reported.

The modifications ordered by Trump are "highly unusual and disruptive for the Navy," Todd Harrison, an Air Force veteran and longtime defense budget analyst at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, told Politico. "Especially since these are changes the Navy did not request."

Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said on Friday that the USS Abraham Lincoln would return to port, but he agreed, "There is no question our young men and women have been pushed to their limits," adding, "But they have never broken."

CNN flags White House's 'remarkable' reaction to Trump's dismissal of suffering sailors

The White House had a "remarkable" response to President Donald Trump's response to sailors suffering on the USS Abraham Lincoln.

Sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have been suffering from an ongoing nine-month deployment, which has led to a lack of food and depleted morale. Six sailors are reported to have attempted suicide, and others have jumped ship. Family members of the deployed sailors have attested to the poor conditions, with one slamming Trump.

When Trump was asked whether the deployment of the aircraft carrier had gone on too long, he responded, "No, no, no, not nearly long enough."

On Friday, CNN White House correspondent Kevin Liptak said White House staff offered no clarification on the comments.

"When I went to the White House today to ask if they had any context or wanted to clarify any of the president's comments, they said that they were just going to point back to what the president said, which is really kind of remarkable," Liptak said. "When you talk to people in the military, there is a degree of stunned when you hear what the president said."

Liptak noted Trump's reaction to the question. He seemed "visibly irritated" about being asked about the USS Abraham Lincoln. "He kind of snapped after that first answer," Liptak said. "He sort of abruptly turned and walked away, which is not his norm when he's speaking on the tarmac."

The USS Abraham Lincoln was deployed ahead of the conflict in Iran. According to Liptak, the attention around the conditions "underscores what is the concern that you hear consistently among American officials, which is just how long this war has gone on."

He added, "These lengthy deployments only remind the American public that the president's initial six weeks was absolutely wrong," and noted, "You also hear concerns about the munitions stockpile and the worry that you hear from military officials is that the longer these deployments go on."

'Oh my God!' Wife of USS Lincoln sailor 'infuriated' after Trump accused families of lying

A U.S. service member's wife had a blunt response on Friday for President Donald Trump after he dismissed reports of poor conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln, even as families expressed serious concerns about their loved ones.

CNN anchor Jake Tapper spoke with the unnamed woman, who shared that she could not identify herself over concerns for her husband's safety and career. Tapper asked what her reaction was to Trump's remarks after the president said he did not think the deployment was "long enough." Nearly 5,000 sailors and Marines have been deployed on the warship for nine months in the Arabian Sea during the Iran war.

"Oh my God! I don't think the man thinks before he talks," she said. "I was really hoping that at some point there would be a redemption. Try to redeem yourself at least a little bit with everything that you do and everything that you say. Have some empathy. Take some accountability for what's going on with your military, your ships, and your war. It's infuriating."

She slammed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Trump for their comments dismissing the reports of deteriorating conditions and low morale among the troops.

"What the president is saying today, essentially saying that families are lying and service members are lying, even though the proof is right here on my phone, it is not fabricated," she said. "Nobody is lying."

She criticized the Trump administration for not showing sympathy for service members "that they claim to scream and shout that they support when it's politically sound for them to use, 'support our troops, support our troops' until our troops need support. And now suddenly everyone's lying. And it's a fabrication and it's a misrepresentation."

"I would so badly love to plaster my face and blow the whistle so loud on social media with my name and be like, 'this is real. We are real people. Those are real people on that ship. This is actually happening.' But unfortunately, I have to protect my husband's career."

'Heartbroken' military families beg for help over 'miserable' new warship revelations

As concerns mounted Friday over poor conditions onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, families of military service members on another Navy ship were pleading for help.

A new report from independent journalist Aaron Parnas detailed the troubling conditions and declining morale shared by sailors' families, including how service members on the USS George H.W. Bush were facing "virtually no food, water, or soap," The Daily Beast reported.

A loved one of two U.S. sailors told Parnas via text how the situation was worsening for sailors on the warship in the Arabian Sea as the Iran war now drags on for more than five months.

"They've been out at sea for 146 days with no end in sight," the unnamed family member said. They learned about the conditions when her sister-in-law left the ship for a family emergency. "Morale is low, and everyone is miserable. It's heartbreaking."

The USS Bush left Norfolk, Virginia, in March, The Beast reported.

The reports onboard follow growing frustration about the USS Abraham Lincoln's roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines, who are nine months into a deployment that was supposed to end in May, with no return date announced.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has pushed back on the accounts, telling reporters Thursday that the conditions had been "completely misrepresented," though he did not specify his concerns with the reporting. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), who pressed Hegseth for answers, rejected that characterization as disrespectful to the sailors enduring the hardships.

The Navy has acknowledged the war disrupted supply routes but said the Lincoln now has access to clean water and healthy meals. The carrier USS George Washington is being sent to relieve the ship, which has been at sea more than 240 days with only two port calls.

'Sick': Firestorm as 'Cadet Bone Spurs' dismisses disgruntled military families

People were outraged on Friday after President Donald Trump downplayed the reportedly poor conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln, where service members have described a dire situation.

Trump was boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland heading to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York when the press corps started asking him questions about the naval vessel and sailors on board.

"Family members of service members are concerned about conditions on the USS Lincoln," one reporter said.

"That ship is moving. No, they’re not," Trump responded, saying that the ship would be replaced with another ship.

"Has the deployment gone on too long?" The reporter asked.

"No, no, no. Not nearly long enough," Trump said, not acknowledging military family members' worries.

Political commentators and media experts reacted to the president's remarks.

Internet personality and Chronicles associate editor Pedro L. Gonzalez reacted to Trump's response.

"Trump doesn't care about American troops at all," Gonzalez wrote on X. "He thinks people who serve in the military are suckers. He thinks people who fight and die for this country are fools. I don't know how you can hear Trump explicitly state that he's unconcerned about these service members and their families, that he thinks they haven't been deployed *long enough* in his idiotic war, and still conclude that he's deeply concerned about American lives."

Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), an Iraq war veteran, had a sharp reaction to Trump's comments.

"Cadet Bone Spurs thinks he understands what happens on deployments," Gallego wrote on X.

Progressive activist Alex Cole mocked Trump.

"Trump: We love our military. Military: We have concerns. Trump: No you don’t," Cole wrote on X.

U.S. Army veteran and activist Skyleigh Uhrich had a direct message for families of military service members.

"Attention Military & Military Families: Trump said 200 days of deployment at sea with no port of call is not along [sic] enough! All of you need to vote accordingly in November, all of your family members are being used as pawns in his sick game! He wouldn’t last 24 hrs pathetic mf!" Uhrich wrote on X.

Liberal commentator Lucas Sanders responded to the president.

"Translation: I don’t care about their conditions," Sanders wrote on X.

Trump doesn't care about American troops at all. He thinks people who serve in the military are suckers. He thinks people who fight and die for this country are fools. I don't know how you can hear Trump explicitly state that he's unconcerned about these service members and their… https://t.co/oEvuDGiZ9j
— Pedro L. Gonzalez (@emeriticus) August 14, 2026

Senator reveals the comfort 'worth its weight in gold' trapped sailors are being denied

CNN anchor Erin Burnett called the conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln "shocking" during a live broadcast on Thursday as new details emerged about dire troop morale.

Burnett spoke with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), who sits on the Armed Services Committee. The lawmaker wrote a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asking for information about the troops on naval ships and pushed back on Hegseth's claims.

"Hegseth trying to characterize these powerful, credible reports as fake news is really a disservice and profoundly disrespectful to the sailors who are on the USS Abraham Lincoln and enduring these hardships," Blumenthal said.

He explained how the lack of supplies, access to food, hot water, toothpaste and soap affects morale and increases stress, which he said contributed to a sailor reportedly going overboard.

"Anyone who's familiar with how an aircraft carrier operates knows that these jobs are highly stressful, requiring stamina as these fighter jets land on an area that looks like a postage stamp as they begin their descent," Blumenthal said. "And these sailors, whether they are on the deck or below, doing mechanics or at the surveillance systems, fending off possible attacks, are all under tremendous stress and doing work that can be highly dangerous if they are either distracted or demoralized. So it's a real strategic issue."

Reports indicated Thursday that the USS Washington was on its way to replace or relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been at sea for a record 200-plus days without a port call — they haven't touched ground since the ship deployed from San Diego in November 2025.

But that still doesn't solve the problem, Blumenthal explained.

"The USS Washington is being taken away from its forward position in the far east. So the endless war of impulse without strategy and exit plan is having a toll on our military readiness," he added.

Burnett pointed out why this was problematic.

"When you hear this as an American and Americans rightly have pride in the greatest military in the world, but to hear that you have a premier military ship like this, right, a carrier where people aren't getting enough food, I think it's stunning," Burnett said. "It's hard to hear. And it's frankly shocking. And the conditions on the Lincoln appear to be in no small part because of the war with Iran."

Blumenthal described another disturbing report: sailors have not been receiving their care packages.

"Anybody who's had sons or daughters in the military, I've had two, knows that a stale cookie can be worth its weight in gold," he said. "That kind of destructive impact to morale can have a ripple effect in the crew."