Navy reports 8 suicide attempts on USS Lincoln during Iran combat deployment
Acting Navy Secretary discloses 8 sailors attempted suicide aboard the carrier strike group during extended Middle East operations.
What to know
- Eight sailors from the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during a 260+ day deployment involving combat operations against Iran, disclosed by Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao in a letter to Senator Gillibrand.
- The figure contradicts earlier reports of two incidents and indicates more severe mental health crisis among crew than previously acknowledged.
- President Trump dismissed concerns about the deployment's toll on sailors, stating it had not gone on long enough; Gillibrand accused Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth of 'open disrespect' toward service members.
- The Navy stated mental health resources including five chaplains, a psychologist, and behavioral health technicians were available aboard; no service members died by suicide.
Trump and Hegseth showed dangerous disregard for service members by dismissing mental health concerns as fake news.
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“What Trump and Secretary Hegseth dismissed as 'fake news' turned out to be serious and deteriorating conditions for our service members”
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand · Newsweek ↗
“That this administration can find endless taxpayer dollars for bombs, ballrooms, and billionaires, but cannot take care of our service members, is completely unacceptable.”
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Senator (D-NY) · Newsweek ↗
Hung Cao Acting Navy Secretary
Kirsten Gillibrand U.S. Senator (D-NY), Senate Armed Services Committee
Donald Trump President
Pete Hegseth Secretary of Defense
How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesvideospostscomments
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Gillibrand accuses Trump and Hegseth of dismissing service member welfare
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand responded sharply to the Navy's disclosure, criticizing President Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for dismissing reports of deteriorating conditions aboard the USS Lincoln as 'fake news.'
“What Trump and Secretary Hegseth dismissed as 'fake news' turned out to be serious and deteriorating conditions for our service members. Our troops and their families make immense sacrifices every single day, yet the president dismissed them with open disrespect.”
— Senator Kirsten Gillibrand -
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8 Navy sailors in U.S.S. Lincoln Strike Group attempted suicide during its more than 300 days at sea
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🇺🇸 Eight sailors on the carrier group that fought Iran attempted suicide during the deployment Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao gave the number to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in a letter obtained by CNN, covering the roughly 6,000 to 7,000 people across the USS Abraham Lincoln and its
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BREAKING: Navy says eight sailors attempted suicide during the long deployment of the U.S.S. Lincoln strike group.
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Navy admits eight suicide attempts aboard USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao disclosed in a letter obtained by media outlets that eight suicide attempts were recorded among the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group during its 260-day deployment to the Middle East, a figure higher than the two reported incidents earlier in the summer. The cases included crew from the Lincoln, carrier air wing, strike group, destroyer squadron staff, escorting destroyers, and embarked aviation squadrons.
“eight suicide attempts had been recorded—a number higher than the two reported incidents earlier in the summer…”
— Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao -
11 outlets first by The Guardian, 4h ago · also The Hill, CBS News, NYT, Guardian US, WSJ, Anadolu Agency +4 · read ↗
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first by Newsweek, 5h ago · also Times of India, Washington Examiner, NBC News, Hindustan Times, Independent UK
5 more headlines
- 8 US Navy sailors attempted suicide during USS Lincoln's Iran deployment Times of India · 2h ago
- Eight sailors attempted suicide during USS Lincoln’s Iran war deployment Washington Examiner · 2h ago
- 8 Navy members attempted suicide on the USS Lincoln during extended deployment, military official says NBC News · 2h ago
- 8 suicide bids on USS Abraham Lincoln amid Iran deployment scrutiny, Navy confirms Hindustan Times · 1h ago
- Navy admits there were 8 suicide attempts aboard the USS Lincoln during Iran war deployment Independent UK · 1h ago
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Eight U.S. Navy sailors assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during its extended deployment, according to a letter from acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao obtained by CNN. None died.
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New: 8 Navy personnel assigned to USS Abraham Lincoln strike group attempted suicide during a period when ships were engaged in combat ops against Iran & the carrier set a modern record for its time at sea, per letter from service’s acting secretary, obtained by CNN.
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These are the people behind the headlines. Thousands of sailors spent months away from their families, operating under combat conditions with few opportunities to get off the ships and recover. Whatever your politics, their mental health and wellbeing matter. 💚
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background
Senator Gillibrand questions Navy about USS Lincoln deployment and crew welfare — Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democratic Senator on the Senate's Armed Services Committee, submitted questions to the Navy regarding the Lincoln's extended deployment, potential indefinite extensions, and any suicides aboard.
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background
Navy releases imagery of USS Lincoln conducting live-fire exercises in South China Sea — By early January, the Navy had released imagery showing the ship conducting live-fire exercises in the South China Sea.
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background
USS Abraham Lincoln departs San Diego for Indo-Pacific deployment — The carrier left its home port of San Diego, California on November 21, 2025, for a deployment initially focused on the Indo-Pacific region.
What people are saying 18 voices from 2 sites · best of 92 · verbatim
- Today
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Live updates: Media outlets and Trump administration face off in court on White House ban Eight Navy members aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group have attempted suicide since the beginning of… # UnitedStates # US # USA # DonaldTrump # trump
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8 suicide attempts. It can’t help that it’s not a justifiable war & there is so little respect for the US these days. And those jokers show no respect. https://www. newsweek.com/trump-accused-dis respect-navy-admits-uss-lincoln-suicide-attempts-12480936
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MAGA MURDER Regime👇 https://www. cnn.com/2026/09/23/politics/ei ght-sailors-lincoln-carrier-group-iran-war-attempted-suicide
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Hegseth lied about it countless times, covering up the horrible reality of what happened on that ship & the gruesome toll the troops endured due to incompetent leadership from an under-qualified former Fox News weekend host. He lied to the families about conditions on the ship and fatality count.
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https://www. cnn.com/2026/09/23/politics/ei ght-sailors-lincoln-carrier-group-iran-war-attempted-suicide
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It wasn't just going without port visits! There was a lack of fresh food, drinking water, mail service, and soap, toothpaste, and deodorant. The facilities had deteriorated because of lack of maintenance: showers were moldy, toilets broken, and laundry facilities were out of service for weeks.
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The Guardian: Senator confirms ‘eight suicide attempts’ by US Navy personnel assigned to USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group https://www. theguardian.com/us-news/live/2 026/sep/23/donald-trump-xi-jinping-ai-china-us-politics-latest-news-updates
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Trump has never respected out military. He thinks that they are just surfs to use as he pleases. cbwrong.
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Not while Mikey keeps calling recess to stall votes
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The horrible conditions inflicted on the sailors deployed off Iran show a stunning lack of leadership by Hegseth, Gen. Caine, and Navy leadership. All should be held accountable. What transpired off Iran has no precedent in USN history.
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The one guy who did make it off the aircraft carrier in his attempt at suicide is being disciplined by the Navy and having his pay docked.
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they're vets, entitled to VA healthcare (possibly dental as well) - any mental health issues or any other medical issue occuring on duty (exacerbated by DoD), during a "war" could and should result in a service connected disability w/free healthcare and a benefit payment every month.
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This is really, really bleak. We have so much to try and fix. These poor sailors.
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This absolutely breaks my heart for those sailors and for their worried families.
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Impeach Hegseth! This is yet one more failure of leadership impacting the lives of our soldiers and sailors and their families.
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Yup, that is exactly what russia's puppet Dirty Diaper Donny Trump is doing. So, yeah white supremacist agenda wins again.
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And when they get home they won't get the care they need because "F HEALTHCARE!"
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No nation strengthens its defense by spending its defenders as though they were inexhaustible.