President Donald Trump on Friday dismissed reports that family members of service members aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln are concerned about living conditions and mental health during the aircraft carrier’s record-setting Middle East deployment.

Speaking with reporters at Joint Base Andrews before departing for New York, Trump denied that military families were worried about the ship’s nearly nine-month tour. When asked directly by a reporter if the deployment had gone on for too long, the president pushed back, stating, “No, no, not nearly long enough,” before confirming that the vessel would soon be relieved by another carrier.

The USS Abraham Lincoln has spent over two hundred and forty consecutive days at sea supporting U.S. military operations, marking a modern record for uninterrupted time deployed. The extended mission has sparked growing scrutiny from lawmakers and relatives, who have cited severe strain on crew members, supply delays, and mental health challenges aboard. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the administration’s handling of the fleet on Thursday, asserting that reports describing poor conditions on the ship were “completely misrepresented”.

According to defense officials, the aircraft carrier USS George Washington is currently en route to the Middle East to relieve the Lincoln as part of a planned rotation.