August 12, 2026 · Foreign Policy, War & National Security
· Oversight inquiry
Confirmed
Blumenthal Presses Pentagon Over Broken Toilets, Mental Health Aboard USS Lincoln
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., sent a letter dated Aug. 12 to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao demanding answers about conditions aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, deployed in support of the Iran war for 264 days. Blumenthal cited reports — first published by MS NOW and repeated by families at two Navy town halls — of food shortages, mold, broken toilets, nonoperational laundry facilities and mental-health strain among the crew. He asked the Navy to respond by Aug. 27, including how many times the deployment has been extended.
The Lincoln broke a modern-day record for continuous days at sea without a port call, and the USS Ford separately broke the longest-deployment record while supporting the same operations, underscoring strain on the carrier fleet from the extended Iran conflict. In April, Pentagon leaders dismissed similar reports as "fake news," but Navy officials acknowledged supply issues at an Aug. 6 town hall.
The Navy has not set a return date for the Lincoln and has told families the USS Theodore Roosevelt will eventually relieve it. Hegseth and Cao had not responded to Blumenthal's questions as of this report; his deadline is Aug. 27.
The Lincoln broke a modern-day record for continuous days at sea without a port call, and the USS Ford separately broke the longest-deployment record while supporting the same operations, underscoring strain on the carrier fleet from the extended Iran conflict. In April, Pentagon leaders dismissed similar reports as "fake news," but Navy officials acknowledged supply issues at an Aug. 6 town hall.
The Navy has not set a return date for the Lincoln and has told families the USS Theodore Roosevelt will eventually relieve it. Hegseth and Cao had not responded to Blumenthal's questions as of this report; his deadline is Aug. 27.