The Trump administration confirms eight suicide attempts in the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group during its deployment, after a nearly nine-month mission and criticism regarding conditions on board

The administration of President Donald Trump confirmed Thursday that eight members of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during an extended deployment that included operations against Iran.

The information appears in a letter sent by Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. The eight cases involved service members aboard the aircraft carrier, in its air wing, in destroyer squadrons and on escort ships. The group comprised between 6,000 and 7,000 service members.

The USS Abraham Lincoln left San Diego on November 21, 2025, for a mission in the Pacific, but was redirected to the Middle East ahead of the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, which began in late February 2026. The deployment lasted nearly nine months, with limited port calls.

Cao also mentioned two incidents in which service members went or attempted to go overboard. The revelations follow reports of low morale, hygiene problems, shortages and equipment failures aboard the ship. Service members’ families and Kirsten Gillibrand criticized the administration, while Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth had previously rejected the allegations.