The U.S. Navy is currently working to rename a Ford-class aircraft carrier that was previously set to honor Doris Miller, a Black sailor recognized for his heroic actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor. This news comes as internal discussions suggest the service is weighing whether to name the massive vessel after President Donald Trump instead.
According to CNN, three sources familiar with the internal deliberations confirmed that the Navy is actively looking for a way to shift the naming designation for the ship currently under construction. While it remains unclear exactly what the new name might be, two of these sources indicated that internal conversations have specifically centered on the possibility of naming the carrier after the current president.
If this were to happen, it would be an entirely unprecedented move. Per the outlet, no U.S. aircraft carrier has ever been named after a sitting president. The Independent reported that since the vessel is a Ford-class carrier, the potential name change has also raised significant questions about the future of the ship’s identity.
The soldier who was to be honored
CNN reported that under the current proposal being discussed, the Navy is looking to assign the name of Doris Miller to a different warship while simultaneously recommending him for the Medal of Honor. This medal is the highest decoration for military valor, and while the Navy is pushing for it, final authorization would require action from Congress and approval from President Trump.
Thomas Bledsoe, who is the great-nephew of Doris Miller, told CNN that the family had not been informed of these potential changes. He noted that the family has been advocating for the Medal of Honor “for years,” calling the Navy’s move to recommend the honor a very positive development.
The outlet reported that the history of the USS Doris Miller dates back to January 2020, when former Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly announced the name during a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day ceremony in Pearl Harbor. Modly was a Trump nominee who served in Navy leadership from 2017 to 2020.
During the ceremony, modly stated, “Dorie Miller was the son of a sharecropper. And, he was an American sailor – so designated by the uniform that he wore — the same uniform all sailors wore, and still wear, regardless of race, ethnic background, or political persuasion.”
Doris Miller, a native of Waco, Texas, enlisted in the Navy in 1939. At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, The Independent noted that he was serving as a Mess Attendant Third Class. According to CNN, it was one of the few roles available to Black men in the Navy at that time. When the attack began, Miller was retrieving laundry, but he quickly shifted to helping his wounded commanding officer.
Despite having no training on the equipment, the outlet noted that he took control of an anti-aircraft gun and fired on Japanese aircraft until he ran out of ammunition. The Department of Veteran Affairs noted that even as the ship began to sink, he continued to assist fellow sailors to safety. He was later presented with the Navy Cross by Admiral Chester Nimitz in 1942, and he was eventually killed in action during the Battle of Makin.
CNN reported that the Navy is currently under a significant time crunch to finalize the naming decision, as the keel-laying ceremony for the carrier is expected to take place at the end of this year. While the ship is not expected to be delivered until 2034 due to various shipbuilder constraints, the internal shift is already apparent.
Sources told CNN that the Navy has stopped referring to the ship by the name USS Doris Miller, instead using only its hull number, CVN-81. This shift was mirrored in a recent White House executive order, which also referred to the vessel only as CVN-81 while tasking the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Navy with developing a plan to replace the ship’s electromagnetic aircraft launch system with steam and hydraulic systems.
These discussions are occurring alongside a broader effort within the Pentagon under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to adjust military assets in line with the administration’s priorities. Per CNN, this includes a push to remove names associated with diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. For instance, Hegseth previously ordered the renaming of the USNS Harvey Milk, which had been named for the Navy veteran and activist.
Published: Aug 21, 2026 08:05 am