California Gov. Gavin Newsom accused President Donald Trump of showing indifference toward the 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln after Trump dismissed concerns about the carrier’s extended deployment, telling reporters it had been “not nearly long enough.” Newsom’s post on X responded to the same exchange that drew criticism from several members of Congress.
Newsom: “The Cruelty Is Off the Charts”
“The 5,000 sailors and Marines who deployed from San Diego aboard the USS Lincoln have been at sea long past the original May return date,” Newsom wrote. “Trump couldn’t care less about the brave service members he is jeopardizing with his failed war with Iran. The cruelty is off the charts.”
Trump Dismisses Family Concerns Before Boarding Plane
Trump made the remarks Friday while speaking to reporters before departing Joint Base Andrews, according to official White House video of the exchange. Told that family members of service members aboard the Lincoln were concerned about conditions, Trump interjected, “No, they’re not. That ship is moving right now, or very shortly, and it’s being replaced with another very similar ship.” Asked whether the deployment had gone on too long, Trump said: “No, no, no. Not nearly long enough.”
Carrier Deployed Nearly Nine Months, Well Past Original Return Date
The Lincoln left San Diego on Nov. 21, 2025, initially for a Pacific deployment, before being redirected to the Middle East ahead of the war with Iran that began Feb. 28. It was originally scheduled to return in May. By mid-August the carrier had logged more than 260 days at sea, including more than 40 days of continuous combat operations, with no port call in over 200 consecutive days.
Hegseth Called Reports “Completely Misrepresented”
Trump’s comments came a day after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters during a visit to Panama that reports of poor conditions aboard the Lincoln were “completely misrepresented,” saying the Navy provides “everything we can” to crews on long deployments.
Hegseth Later Accused Media of Intentional Misrepresentation
Hegseth escalated his pushback the same day as Trump’s remarks, writing on X that “the reckless & shameless ‘American’ media completely & intentionally misrepresent the USS Abraham Lincoln,” and that “the brave Sailors of that Strike Group are very proud of their tough & historic mission.”
Acting Navy Secretary Confirms Carrier’s Return
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao separately announced in a statement on his official X account that the Lincoln would return home soon as part of a planned rotation involving the USS George Washington, saying “the Lincoln was extended because the mission demanded it” and that “a small number of mental health cases were treated with no loss of life.”
Gallego Says Trump “Avoided Active Duty Himself”
Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., a Marine Corps combat veteran, separately pushed for a bipartisan congressional oversight visit to the Lincoln, writing on X that “it’s clear Donald Trump, who avoided active duty himself, couldn’t care less about the health and safety our service members. Congress needs to do its job and hold this administration accountable.”
Deployment Fits Wider Pattern of Extended Carrier Rotations
The Lincoln’s extended deployment follows a broader pattern of longer carrier rotations tied to the Iran conflict and its aftermath. The USS Gerald R. Ford spent 326 days at sea during a 2025-2026 deployment that stretched through the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Middle East, a modern record before it returned home in May, while the USS George H.W. Bush has been at sea for more than four months since deploying March 31.
Newsom Has Repeatedly Accused Trump of Politicizing Military
Friday’s post continues a pattern for Newsom, who has previously accused Trump of using service members as political tools in other contexts, including the deployment of California’s National Guard, and has separately criticized the president’s handling of the broader Iran conflict as lacking a clearly articulated strategy or endgame.
Response Reflects Deepening Newsom-Trump Political Rivalry
Newsom, widely viewed as a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, has increasingly positioned himself as one of the most vocal Democratic critics of the Trump administration, and his statement on the Lincoln adds to a running exchange between the two that has spanned immigration enforcement, National Guard deployments and now the conduct of the Iran war.
Reaction to Newsom’s Post Reflected Broader Political Divide
Responses to Newsom’s post were sharply divided, with some commenters accusing him of exploiting the sailors’ circumstances to attack Trump politically, while others echoed his criticism and described conditions aboard the carrier in starkly negative terms.