‘It's infuriating’: USS Abraham Lincoln sailor’s wife challenges Trump administration's claims
WASHINGTON, DC: A wife of a service member aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln has spoken out after President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected reports about difficult conditions on the ship.
Speaking to CNN’s Jake Tapper on ‘The Lead’ on Friday, August 14, she said her husband had described the deployment as the worst he had experienced and backed reports of very small portions of what she called “appalling” food.
The comments come as the USS Abraham Lincoln’s deployment, which began in November, has stretched months beyond its originally expected return in May amid the ongoing war with Iran.
'It's infuriating that they're not taking accountability and not having any sort of sympathy for our service members.' The wife of a service member aboard the USS Lincoln tells @jaketapper she is disappointed in how the Trump Administration is handling reports of poor conditions… pic.twitter.com/79XJoJo4Hn
— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) August 14, 2026
USS Abraham Lincoln deployment draws questions over conditions
Reports about the ship have drawn attention this week, including claims about food and supply shortages.
One report cited messages from a sailor who claimed the crew had gone without milk for three months and had at times been served “rotten” meat.
Another report involved a 19-year-old sailor who went overboard on August 3. His wife described the incident as a suicide attempt and said he had struggled with exhaustion and homesickness. She also accused the Navy of keeping her informed only after several days.
Trump and Pete Hegseth push back on USS Abraham Lincoln reports
The reports have not gone without pushback from the Trump administration.
Hegseth denied claims of “deplorable” conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln on Thursday.
On Friday, he wrote on X that the media had “completely & intentionally misrepresent[ed]” the ship, adding that the sailors were proud of their “tough & historic mission.”
The reckless & shameless “American” media completely & intentionally misrepresent the USS Abraham Lincoln.
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) August 14, 2026
The brave Sailors of that Strike Group are very proud of their tough & historic mission. They embody resilience & excellence. @DeptofWar @USNavy & @CENTCOM have their back. https://t.co/2Yi08wMxYm
Trump also addressed the issue Friday, saying family members were not actually concerned about their loved ones aboard the ship and that its deployment had gone “not nearly long enough.”
Sailor’s wife responds to Trump’s comments
Speaking with Tapper, the service member’s wife gave a strongly worded response to the president's remarks while focusing on what she said her husband had experienced.
“I don’t think the man thinks before he talks,” she said, adding that she had hoped Trump would show “some sympathy, some empathy” and “take some accountability” for what was happening with the military and its ships.
She said her husband was describing the deployment as the worst he had ever experienced and insisted the concerns being raised by families were not fabricated.
“It’s infuriating,” she said. “I mean, we heard what Hegseth said yesterday, what the president is saying today.”
She added that she believed families and service members were being treated as though they were lying despite what she described as evidence on her phone.
“It is not fabricated. Nobody is lying,” she said.
The woman also said it was easy to say “support our troops” when the phrase was politically useful, but argued that service members also needed support when they were facing difficulties.
