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Trump Downplayed USS Lincoln Conditions Because He’s Been ‘Sitting On Gold Toilets,' Democrat Says
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Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) slammed President Donald Trump for dismissing concerns about the record-breaking deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln as the service members on board face ongoing hardships. Speaking Monday on MS Now’s “Morning Joe,” Kelly, a retired Navy captain, called out Trump’s comments, arguing the president hasn’t absorbed the gravity of the crew’s tribulations because he’s spent the bulk of his adult life “sitting on gold toilets.” “The president’s comments are just uncalled for,” Kelly said. “I mean, he’s a guy that has spent a good portion of his adult life sitting on gold toilets and doesn’t know what hardship is and doesn’t understand our service members.” “In fact, it’s insulting what he said that the deployment wasn’t long enough,” Kelly continued. “He doesn’t know sacrifice.” While speaking with reporters Friday at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Trump minimized the reported harsh conditions aboard the ship, despite several damning accounts from sailors and their relatives. When a reporter asked Trump if he believed the deployment had lasted too long, he replied, “No, no, no. Not nearly long enough.” Trump’s remarks sparked backlash from Kelly, other politicians and family members of the sailors on board. Concerns about the USS Abraham Lincoln — which has experienced worsening conditions in its nearly nine-month deployment in the Middle East amid Trump’s war in Iran — continue, sparked by reports of food shortages, water contamination and other issues. Kelly told MS Now he’d spoken with the grandmother of a sailor who told him her grandson, who is on the vessel, “looks like he’s lost 20 to 25 pounds.” “The situation they’re in is depressing at this point. It’s a long deployment; they haven’t had a port call in an extended period of time,” he continued. Family members of the ship’s roughly 5,000 crew members told news outlets the sailors have faced severe exhaustion and mental health issues, with some reportedly attempting to throw themselves overboard amid the deployment. Kelly criticized Trump and Admiral Brad Cooper, who mildly described the tough stressors on the USS Abraham Lincoln in a recent op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, for their “lack of interest in any kind of accountability in trying to fix this.” “They literally have sailors jumping overboard from that ship because of how challenging this has been,” Kelly exclaimed. In an X post Friday, Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said the Lincoln “will return home soon,” adding “the safety and security of our Sailors and Marines always comes first.” The White House didn’t immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment. Watch Kelly’s appearance on “Morning Joe” below. Skip to the 1:31 mark to hear his comments. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.