An F/A-18E Super Hornet launches from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. (REUTERS FILE)

Asked Friday whether the deployment had gone on too long, Trump said, “No, no, no. Not nearly long enough.”

“That ship is moving right now, or very shortly, and it’s being replaced with another very similar ship,” Trump said, according to Reuters and the Associated Press.

Reporter: Family members of service members are concerned about conditions on the USS Lincoln.

Trump: No, they’re not.

Reporter: Has the deployment gone on too long?

Trump: No. No. No. Not nearly long enough. pic.twitter.com/24Z58NYFVf

— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 14, 2026

The acting Navy secretary, Hung Cao, said the Lincoln “will return home soon.”

What did CNN report about the carrier?

CNN, citing sailors and their families, reported that morale aboard the Lincoln was low after months at sea.

One sailor told the outlet that toilets and water fountains had frequently been out of service, and that hot water was often unavailable.

“Every day we wake up and listen to our Captain speak, we are desperately hoping and anxious for updates on our return,” the sailor told CNN.

Another sailor said some items from the ship’s store had become subject to limits and that “hardly any hygiene products are readily available.”

A US sailor, assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 14, conducts maintenance on an MH-60S Sea Hawk in the hangar bay of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. (REUTERS FILE)

Families of sailors also said care packages could take months to arrive or sometimes go missing.

One sailor’s wife said her husband had described the deployment as the worst he had experienced.

“My husband is a very leave-it-at-work type of person,” she was quoted as saying. “He gets his job done. He comes home, and he lets it go at work. He does his best. He works very hard for the United States military, and he’s even said that he finds himself changing. He feels himself being angrier and more frustrated, and that’s just very unlike him.”

Navy disputes some claims

The US Navy has pushed back against reports of worsening mental health conditions aboard the carrier.

“We have not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship. We take every service member’s well-being seriously and have religious, medical and mental health professionals available to assess and address concerns as they arise,” the Navy told CNN.

The report added that two sailors assigned to the Lincoln strike group had gone overboard in recent months and were rescued alive. One sailor went overboard in early August and was later transferred off the ship for follow-up care, according to a Navy official cited by the Associated Press.

The Navy has not publicly released data showing whether mental health incidents have increased aboard the carrier.

Trump dismisses concerns

Trump’s comments came as reports claimed that the pressures of the prolonged deployment.

The president said the Lincoln’s mission was “not nearly long enough” and indicated that another carrier would replace it.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also pushed back against reports about conditions aboard the ship, describing them as “completely misrepresented”, Reuters and the Associated Press reported.

The USS Lincoln has been deployed for more than eight months, well beyond the Navy’s traditional target of about seven months at sea.

The USS George Washington is expected to replace the Lincoln in West Asia.

(With inputs from agencies)