US President Donald Trump dismissed criticism about the condition of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and told a CNN reporter to "be quiet" during a press briefing at the White House. This was reported by infohub.kz.
Trump claimed he had third-hand reports that the Lincoln is "beautifully maintained," despite extensive accounts of deteriorating living conditions during its lengthy deployment in the Strait of Hormuz.
At the briefing, Trump berated the CNN reporter, insisting she "be quiet" and describing the reporting as "fake news." He cited an exchange with an unnamed veteran over the weekend: "He happened to be an admiral, retired. He said, 'I've been on ships that are out there much longer than that, sir. And I know people on the Lincoln, they say it's beautifully maintained and beautifully taken care of.' And other people went out and they found out that to be true," said Trump. "It was fake news reporting from CNN."
Trump did not identify the "other people" he claimed had verified the anonymous admiral's account. The Lincoln, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, left port from San Diego on 21 November 2025 and has now set a modern record for the longest time at sea without a port call, exceeding 250 days since it last touched land.
The Navy Times and Stars and Stripes have largely confirmed reports of the Lincoln's conditions, describing shortages of supplies and water, and plumbing problems. Several sailors have attempted to leap from the ship, prompting Democratic lawmakers to demand answers from the Pentagon.
Naval families with loved ones deployed for months on US warships amid the Iran war have reacted with fury to Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's dismissal of their concerns. The Guardian spoke to several naval families who have been following the physical and mental stresses bearing down on their relatives with mounting alarm.
"I grew up in a United States where you have to be very respectful of the military, as they're making the ultimate sacrifice and protecting their country, and now you have the commander-in-chief and defense secretary dismissing their experiences and calling them liars," said the sister of one Lincoln crew member, who spoke anonymously for fear of retribution. "I'm really angry."