Relatives of sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Tripoli say crews face contaminated water, inadequate food and limited mental-health support, with some service members losing 20–30lbs. Family members accuse Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth of dismissing these reports and calling sailors "liars," which they say erodes trust in military leadership. The Lincoln and Tripoli have been deployed for nearly nine and five months, respectively, according to relatives, who are now demanding transparent investigations and improved care.
Navy Families Accuse Trump and Pete Hegseth of Calling Sailors 'Liars' Over Reported Ship Conditions
Photo Credit: Aaron Schwartz / AFP via Getty Images
Relatives of US Navy sailors deployed to the Iran region say crews aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Tripoli are enduring contaminated water, inadequate food and minimal mental-health support — claims family members say were later dismissed by Donald Trump and commentator Pete Hegseth.
Accounts From Families
A mother of a sailor on the USS Abraham Lincoln told The Guardian: "They are not feeding him or supplying clean water, and living conditions are horrible." Another sailor's sister said her brother has lost about 20lbs since deployment and shared texts describing poor water quality and a scarcity of mental-health resources.
"Our deployment resilience counsellor quit months ago. To see the ONLY PSYCHIATRIST is a five-week wait unless you do like three of our shipmates and jump off the ship or take 27 sleeping pills," the sailor wrote, according to his sister.
Additional Reports
A mother of a sailor aboard the USS Tripoli said her son has lost roughly 30lbs and described him as "emaciated." Families say the Lincoln and Tripoli have been at sea for nearly nine and five months, respectively, and that repeated deployment extensions have worsened conditions on board.
Reaction And Context
Family members say statements from President Trump and Pete Hegseth that downplayed or denied the reports felt like a betrayal and amounted to "gaslighting." The initial reporting appeared in The Guardian; a related piece by Apoorv Rastogi was published on Mandatory and the story was later circulated on Reality Tea. While some officials have disputed specific claims, relatives are demanding transparent inquiries and improved care for deployed personnel.
What Families Want: Relatives are calling for independent inspections, clearer communication from military leadership, and immediate measures to address food, water and mental-health access for crews at sea.
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