US Navy secretary confirms 8 USS Abraham Lincoln suicide attempts, previously dismissed by Donald Trump as ‘fake news’

When news broke of an apparent morale crisis and multiple attempted suicides aboard USS Abraham Lincoln, Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump couldn’t have been clearer. Hegseth dismissed the story as “fake news,” saying the media had “completely misrepresented” the situation. Trump followed suit, also claiming the story was “fake news,” and a “fake CNN report.”

Acting US Navy secretary Hung Cao has now confirmed the story was not fake news and was in fact accurately reported by multiple media outlets, including Stars and Stripes, The New York Times, and CNN.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand wrote to Pete Hegseth asking for confirmation of what happened on board. Hegseth didn’t reply, but Cao did in his place and said, in plain language, “Since the beginning of Lincoln’s deployment, there have been a total of eight suicide attempts across the strike group.”

“Completely unacceptable”

He continued, “This number includes the Lincoln crew and sailors from the carrier airwing, strike group and destroyer squadron staff, escorting destroyers and all embarked aviation squadrons.” CNN reported on the letter first, quoting a US military official who told them: “Eight attempted suicides is incredibly high. The strain of combat ops is much higher than normal deployments. No port calls, constant alerts, etc.”

Gillibrand argues this letter proves that the president has “open disrespect” for troops and their families, telling CNN: “What Trump and Secretary Hegseth dismissed as ‘fake news’ turned out to be serious and deteriorating conditions for our service members. Our troops and their families make immense sacrifices every single day, yet the president dismissed them with open disrespect. That this administration can find endless taxpayer dollars for bombs, ballrooms, and billionaires, but cannot take care of our service members, is completely unacceptable.”

In total, the Lincoln was at sea for 286 days, one of the longest deployments in US Navy history. Sailors on board reportedly contended with substandard meals, lack of contact with family members, a soap shortage, and a mold outbreak in the ship’s showers.

The conditions, combined with the psychological pressure of not knowing when the ship would return to port, resulted in one sailor attempting to leap overboard before being restrained by crewmates. In August, a sailor did manage to leap overboard, though he was rescued and transferred off ship for medical care.

These incidents raised alarm amongst sailors’ families, who demanded answers from Pete Hegseth, the man responsible for their lives. All they received were denials and dismissal, and now, as per the US Navy’s own admission, false ones.

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please seek help. You can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit their website for support and resources.