Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., on Sunday criticized the Trump administration's handling of the USS Abraham Lincoln's extended deployment, stating that poor conditions and low morale among sailors are a direct result of "a true lack of leadership." Gallego's comments come amid growing concerns over the aircraft carrier's nearly nine-month deployment to the Middle East, during which it has reportedly been at sea for over 200 days without a port call.
Gallego, a former Marine, told ABC News that he recently spoke with a sailor's spouse who described ongoing issues aboard the ship. He attributed these problems to a failure by the administration to plan adequately for the conflict with Iran and its escalation. "This administration did not plan for this war, did not plan how to get out of this war, did not really understand how this war was going to escalate," Gallego said.
Democrats have called for an investigation into the conditions and morale on the Lincoln. However, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has dismissed reports of low morale as "completely misrepresented," and President Donald Trump stated the deployment was "not nearly long enough." Gallego suggested that such dismissive comments from military leadership could deter service members from continuing their military careers. "When they get back to home, when they start having that conversation with their wife or with their husband -- is it worth rejoining? They're going to have to think twice because look at how this leadership is treating them," Gallego stated.
Retired Adm. Mike Mullen, former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged that extended deployments for aircraft carriers are not uncommon, sometimes exceeding their planned duration. However, he agreed that deployments of this length place a significant strain on crews. "We learned in Vietnam, we deployed for a year at a time there. That's just too long. You wear yourself out," Mullen said, emphasizing the need for ships, personnel, and families to return home. Mullen also noted that he had spoken with U.S. Central Command commander Brad Cooper, who reported that any issues regarding poor conditions on the Lincoln had been addressed. According to Mullen, morale among the crew has improved since they were informed of their imminent return home. "One of the positives of Cooper's visit yesterday is he announced to the crew that they're going home ... and so the morale is up significantly from where it was just a few days ago," Mullen said. The USS George Washington has departed from its Pacific station and is expected to relieve the Lincoln, according to a U.S. official.