Hegseth and Trump dismiss USS Lincoln crew crisis reports as overstated

Defense Secretary Hegseth called reports of deteriorating conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln "completely misrepresented." President Trump said the carrier had not been at sea "nearly long enough." Their statements contradict family and crew accounts of food shortages, mold, and sailors attempting to jump overboard during a deployment that began November 2025 and has exceeded 200 consecutive days at sea.