Trump’s callous response as US sailors throw themselves overboard in Iran war as grim photos of food emerge

Donald Trump has dismissed growing concern over conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, as the aircraft carrier's record-breaking deployment supporting the war with Iran continues to strain its crew. Navy families report collapsing morale and suicidal ideation among sailors, with at least one confirmed incident of a crew member entering rough seas in what officials called a mental health episode, adding urgency to questions about how long troops can be kept at sea without relief.

The Lincoln and its more than 5,000 servicemen have spent over 250 days at sea since leaving San Diego last November, far exceeding the roughly six-month norm for carrier deployments. Despite reports of food shortages, rationing and a sailor's suicide attempt relayed by families, Trump denied concerns existed and said the deployment had not gone on "nearly long enough," even as the USS George Washington prepares to replace the Lincoln. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal and other lawmakers are pressing Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth for answers and a congressional visit, though Hegseth and US Central Command have rejected the accounts as false. Eighteen US service members have died in Iranian strikes since the war began in February.