Navy may rename next aircraft carrier after Trump

The U.S. Navy is considering renaming an aircraft carrier under construction, originally planned to honor Doris Miller, a Black sailor recognized for his heroism during the Pearl Harbor attack.

Internal discussions have included the possibility of naming the vessel after former President Donald Trump. Such a move would mark the first time an aircraft carrier has been named after a living president.

An unprecedented naming decision

The Ford-class carrier, designated CVN-81, was announced in 2019 as the USS Doris Miller. The choice would have been historic—it would have been the first aircraft carrier named after an enlisted sailor and the first for an African American.

The Navy now appears to be reversing that decision. Sources said the effort to rename the ship has been underway since earlier this year. Internally, the service has stopped referring to it as the USS Doris Miller and now uses only its hull number, CVN-81. A recent White House executive order on shipbuilding also identified the vessel solely by its number.

Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao and his office have reviewed official naming guidelines, including whether presidents should be eligible for such honors.

A Department of Defense spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.

Miller’s legacy and the Medal of Honor push

Doris Miller, a mess attendant from Waco, Texas, was aboard the USS West Virginia on December 7, 1941, when Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor. Without formal training, he manned an anti-aircraft gun, firing until ammunition ran out, then helped evacuate wounded sailors as the ship sank.

In 1942, Admiral Chester Nimitz awarded him the Navy Cross. Miller was later killed in action during the Battle of Makin in 1943. His story was portrayed by Cuba Gooding Jr. in the 2001 film Pearl Harbor.

Miller’s family has long pushed for him to receive the Medal of Honor. His great-nephew, Thomas Bledsoe, said the Navy’s recent recommendation to award the medal was encouraging, though final approval rests with Congress and the White House.

Bledsoe confirmed the family had not been informed of the carrier’s potential renaming.

The Navy faces pressure to finalize the ship’s name before its keel-laying ceremony later this year. The carrier is not expected to be delivered until 2034 due to delays at the shipyard.

Traditionally, U.S. aircraft carriers have been named after former presidents, military leaders, and, in rare cases, members of Congress. The shift away from Miller’s name, without public explanation, highlights tensions between historical recognition and political considerations.

Naming the carrier after Trump would break with the practice of waiting until a president leaves office before honoring them with a warship. The last carrier named after a president, the USS George H.W. Bush, was commissioned in 2009, nearly two decades after he left office.

The Navy has not confirmed whether Miller’s name will be assigned to another vessel, though one source suggested that possibility remains under discussion.

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