Maher on USS Abraham Lincoln conditions: 'It just makes my blood boil'

The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier is set to return to the US after a prolonged deployment of over 260 days, including 200 days in a combat zone. According to Acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao, the carrier's deployment was extended because its mission demanded it. The ship's crew of around 5,000 sailors and Marines faced difficult conditions, including intermittent food shortages, limited hygiene supplies, problems with toilets and water systems, and a lack of regular port calls.

Comedian Bill Maher condemned the harsh conditions aboard the ship, saying they made his "blood boil." Some sailors and their families have raised concerns about low morale and mental health during the deployment. According to CNN, some sailors described morale as very low and reported hearing about suicidal thoughts among fellow crew members. Two sailors assigned to the Lincoln strike group reportedly went overboard in recent months and were rescued.

President Trump downplayed concerns about the deployment's length, saying it was "not nearly long enough." US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also criticized media reports of low morale and poor conditions, labelling them as "fake, America-hating news." The USS Abraham Lincoln will be replaced with another ship as part of a planned rotation, with Cao stating that the safety and security of the sailors and Marines always comes first.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Hill, NPR, Times of India, Gulf News, Jerusalem Post — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.