Trump admin says there were 8 suicide attempts on US aircraft carrier

The Trump administration has confirmed eight suicide attempts by US service members aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, an aircraft carrier deployed in the Middle East, as reported by a lawmaker on Wednesday. This information was disclosed in a letter from acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao to Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, responding to inquiries about living conditions and mental health concerns on the ship.

According to the letter, the incidents occurred throughout the carrier's extended deployment that began in November 2025. The letter also noted that there were no suicides during this period. One sailor went overboard in early August but was swiftly rescued by a search and rescue helicopter, while another attempted to do the same in March and was stopped by fellow crew members, returning to port.

The USS Abraham Lincoln departed from California in November 2025 for service in the South China Sea, but was redirected to the Middle East following US-Israeli attacks on Iran in late February 2026. The ship subsequently made a stopover in Thailand in early September after 286 days at sea. In August, concerns were raised by military families and lawmakers regarding reports of suicide attempts, mental health issues, food shortages, and poor hygiene on the vessel.

These claims were initially dismissed by then-President Donald Trump, and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later maintained that the situation had been misrepresented.