Topline
President Donald Trump denied families of service members aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have expressed concerns about conditions on the ship and said the nine-month deployment wasn’t “nearly long enough,” prompting near immediate blowback from lawmakers.
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force One on August 14, 2026 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Trump said “no they’re not” when a reporter confronted him on Friday about the physical and mental health concerns family of service members on board and lawmakers have expressed, according to multiple reports.
He said, “no, no, not nearly long enough,” when asked if the deployment had gone on too long.
Democrats in Congress promptly criticized the president, with Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., writing on X that parents of service members on board have reached out to her office directly to express concerns, while Sen. Andy Kim, D-NJ, wrote on X, “the disregard and disrespect that Trump is showing our sailors and Marines is appalling.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.