'Pisses me off': Democrats blast Trump over USS Abraham Lincoln concerns

WASHINGTON, DC: Democrats Ruben Gallego and Wes Moore sharpened their attacks on President Donald Trump over concerns aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, with Moore accusing the president of lacking compassion.

The carrier has spent nearly nine months at sea, including more than 200 days without a port call, as concerns about morale and crew well-being grow.

Gallego spoke on ABC News' ‘This Week’, while Moore appeared on CNN's ‘State of the Union’ on Sunday, August 16, to criticize Trump's response.

Wes Moore and Ruben Gallego sharply rebuke Trump

“I was just speaking to a [Lincoln crew member’s] spouse just about three days ago, and this is the current problem right now,” Gallego said on ABC News.

“The deep, deep, deep problem here is that this administration did not plan for this war, did not plan how to get out of this war, [and] did not really understand how this war was going to escalate,” he added.

Gallego, a retired Marine, said problems aboard the carrier had kept mounting and blamed its prolonged deployment on the unresolved war with Iran and what he called lackluster leadership from the Republican president's administration.

Moore, Maryland's Democratic governor and a military veteran, went further in his criticism of Trump's response to concerns about the crew's mental health and living conditions.

“The response of the president of the United States pisses me off. And it should piss all of us off,” Moore said on CNN.

He said Trump should have more compassion for service members and their families, adding, “I would have hoped that, since he’s never been forward deployed, since he’s never put on the uniform and sacrificed for this country, that he would have more compassion for the people who are willing to.”

USS Abraham Lincoln deployment fuels scrutiny

The Navy Times and Stars and Stripes have reported multiple attempts by sailors to jump overboard and described poor conditions and mental stress aboard the carrier during its ninth month at sea.

Those reports have prompted Democratic lawmakers to call for an investigation into conditions aboard the Lincoln, which has about 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected the reports as “completely misrepresented,” while Trump has minimized the deployment, saying it is “not nearly long enough.”

Asked about the lengthy deployment, Trump said the Lincoln was moving or would soon be replaced by another similar ship. 

Asked whether family members were worried, he responded, “No, they’re not.”

Gallego warned that dismissive comments from Trump and Hegseth could discourage service members from staying in the military.

Military officials defend crew

The criticism came as US Central Command commander Adm Brad Cooper visited the Lincoln during a 10-day trip through the Middle East.

Cooper said the crew “is a strong team of high-achieving Americans standing tall with immense, justified pride in everything they accomplished.” 

He called the deployment “one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era.”

Retired Adm Mike Mullen, a former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also said lengthy deployments take a toll on crews. 

Mullen said he spoke with Cooper and was told poor conditions aboard the Lincoln had been addressed.

Mullen added that morale improved after Cooper told sailors they would be going home. 

An exact date for the Lincoln's return has not been announced.