CNN anchor Erin Burnett called the conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln “shocking” during a live broadcast on Thursday as new details emerged about dire troop morale.
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Burnett spoke with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), who sits on the Armed Services Committee. The lawmaker wrote a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asking for information about the troops on naval ships and pushed back on Hegseth’s claims.
“Hegseth trying to characterize these powerful, credible reports as fake news is really a disservice and profoundly disrespectful to the sailors who are on the USS Abraham Lincoln and enduring these hardships,” Blumenthal said.
He explained how the lack of supplies, access to food, hot water, toothpaste and soap affects morale and increases stress, which he said contributed to a sailor reportedly going overboard.
“Anyone who’s familiar with how an aircraft carrier operates knows that these jobs are highly stressful, requiring stamina as these fighter jets land on an area that looks like a postage stamp as they begin their descent,” Blumenthal said. “And these sailors, whether they are on the deck or below, doing mechanics or at the surveillance systems, fending off possible attacks, are all under tremendous stress and doing work that can be highly dangerous if they are either distracted or demoralized. So it’s a real strategic issue.”
Reports indicated Thursday that the USS Washington was on its way to replace or relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been at sea for a record 200-plus days without a port call — they haven’t touched ground since the ship deployed from San Diego in November 2025.
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But that still doesn’t solve the problem, Blumenthal explained.
“The USS Washington is being taken away from its forward position in the far east. So the endless war of impulse without strategy and exit plan is having a toll on our military readiness,” he added.
Burnett pointed out why this was problematic.
“When you hear this as an American and Americans rightly have pride in the greatest military in the world, but to hear that you have a premier military ship like this, right, a carrier where people aren’t getting enough food, I think it’s stunning,” Burnett said. “It’s hard to hear. And it’s frankly shocking. And the conditions on the Lincoln appear to be in no small part because of the war with Iran.”
Blumenthal described another disturbing report: sailors have not been receiving their care packages.
“Anybody who’s had sons or daughters in the military, I’ve had two, knows that a stale cookie can be worth its weight in gold,” he said. “That kind of destructive impact to morale can have a ripple effect in the crew.”
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