Fact Check: Did Trump blame windmills for food shortages aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln?

WASHINGTON, DC: The USS Abraham Lincoln, carrying around 5,000 sailors and Marines, has remained at sea for more than 250 days without a port call as it supports US military operations in the Middle East. 

Recent reports about food and supply shortages aboard the carrier have sparked growing concern among sailors’ families and lawmakers. 

Amid the controversy, a claim went viral that Trump said windmills were partly "responsible" for the food shortages aboard the ship. Let’s fact-check the claim.

Claim: Trump says windmills are responsible for food shortage aboard USS Abraham Lincoln

The claim originated with an X user who wrote, “Trump says windmills are ‘partially responsible’ for the food shortage aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.”

The claim surfaced amid reports from sailors, their families and news outlets about food rationing and shortages aboard the carrier.

Reports have described limited supplies, including a lack of milk, as well as concerns about hygiene products, plumbing, mold, low morale, exhaustion and mental health. The reports drew significant attention in mid-August 2026.

Trump and administration officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, have rejected many of the reports.

They have also pointed to logistical challenges in a contested environment and praised the crew for remaining resilient. Trump said the carrier’s deployment was “not nearly long enough” and cited accounts suggesting that the ship was being well maintained.

The USS George Washington is also heading to the region to relieve the Lincoln, while lawmakers have asked the Pentagon for more information about the crew’s welfare and supply situation.

The X post also sparked jokes and speculation online. One user wrote, “True, windmills killed the carrier pigeons that delivered fresh sandwiches daily.”

Fact Check: False

The claim that Trump said windmills were “partially responsible” for food shortages aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln is not supported by any evidence. No official statement, transcript, recording or credible news report shows Trump linking wind turbines to the carrier’s supply problems.

The original X post by @SpencerHakimian appears to have been satire rather than a real report. Responses to the post also treated the claim as absurd, and the account has shared other exaggerated comments about Trump and windmills.

Trump has addressed some of these reports but rejected the criticism. He called CNN’s coverage “fake news,” said the ship was “beautifully maintained” based on accounts he had heard from a retired admiral and others, and said the deployment was “not nearly long enough.” He did not mention windmills or wind energy when discussing the carrier’s conditions.

There is also no evidence that Trump blamed wind turbines for any food or supply problems aboard the Lincoln. Although Trump has previously criticized wind energy, he has not connected those complaints to the carrier or its logistics.