▲ U.S. President Donald Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed concerns yesterday (the 14th, local time) that the extended nine-month deployment of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to the Middle East has subjected its crew to poor conditions, stating that the deployment period was "not long enough."
Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, D.C., ahead of a trip to New York State, Trump was asked whether the Lincoln's deployment period had become too long.
In response to a reporter's question suggesting that the crew's families are concerned about the health of personnel aboard the ship, he answered, "No, that's not true."
Trump added that the USS Lincoln is "moving right now."
The USS Lincoln left its home port of San Diego last November carrying a crew of about 5,000, and was deployed to the Middle East last January ahead of a potential conflict with Iran.
Before stopping briefly in Oman on July 7, the carrier had remained at sea for 208 consecutive days following a stop in Guam last December, which U.S. media reported as an unprecedentedly long continuous deployment in modern naval history.
Consequently, concerns have been raised regarding the crew's poor living conditions and mental health.
The USS Lincoln is reportedly set to be relieved by another nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS George Washington.
U.S. media outlets, including The New York Times (NYT) and Axios, reported that President Trump brushed aside concerns regarding the harsh conditions aboard the Lincoln.
The previous day, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to media reports concerning the conditions on the Lincoln by calling them "completely misrepresented," adding, "We ensure that every ship, every crew member, and every captain has everything we can possibly provide at all times."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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