Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed back Thursday against reports of troubling conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, arguing that the situation on the aircraft carrier has been “completely misrepresented” as questions mount over its lengthy deployment.
Speaking during an interview with Newsmax, Hegseth defended the Pentagon’s handling of the carrier and its crew but did not directly address reports involving supply shortages, contaminated water or deteriorating mental health among sailors. He also did not provide a date for when the ship would finally return stateside.
“Listen, we make sure that every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment,” Hegseth said.
The Defense secretary acknowledged that some deployments last longer than others while praising sailors serving under difficult conditions.
“Some deployments are longer than others, and I have more respect and gratitude for those sailors than anybody,” Hegseth said. “What they do in those high seas and those austere conditions with less port calls, it’s incredible.”
Hegseth said he wants the service members back home “as soon as everybody else” does, adding that military commanders and service secretaries are aware of that goal and that President Trump expects the same.
The Pentagon has faced growing scrutiny over the Abraham Lincoln after families of sailors serving aboard the carrier told Navy leadership last week that several sailors had attempted to jump overboard or had been stopped from doing so in recent months.
Navy officials have denied that there has been an increase in suicide attempts aboard the carrier.
The reports have nevertheless drawn attention from lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sent a letter to Hegseth and acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao raising what he described as “serious concerns” about the carrier’s extended deployment.
Blumenthal argued that the Lincoln’s situation reflects a broader issue involving lengthy carrier deployments.
“The Lincoln is not an isolated case,” Blumenthal wrote, saying recent deployments have repeatedly stretched beyond their originally anticipated durations and raising concerns that extended missions could be becoming a regular feature of the Navy’s force-generation model.
Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., also called Thursday for greater scrutiny, demanding an official bipartisan visit to the aircraft carrier.
Gallego accused Trump of failing to care about the health and safety of service members and said Congress needs to hold the administration accountable.
The scrutiny comes as the approximately 5,000 service members aboard the Abraham Lincoln have reportedly spent more than 250 consecutive days at sea, including at least 40 days of continuous combat operations supporting the Iran war.
The carrier departed San Diego in November for a Pacific deployment before being redirected to the Middle East in January.
The Abraham Lincoln had originally been scheduled to return home in May.
There is currently no publicly announced date for its return.
