Navy Considers Renaming Carrier USS Doris Miller After Trump

Navy leadership is discussing renaming a future aircraft carrier after President Donald Trump instead of a heroic Black service member, according to two U.S. officials.

The ship, designated CVN-81, is currently set to be named the USS Doris Miller, honoring an enlisted sailor who shot down at least one Japanese plane and helped carry wounded Americans to safety during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Doris Miller was the first Black sailor awarded the Navy Cross in May 1942.

The decision to name the Ford-class carrier after Miller was made in 2020 during Trump's first term, marking the first time a U.S. aircraft carrier would be named after an enlisted sailor and the first named after a Black American. Discussions about changing the name have been ongoing for several months, and the Navy has stopped internally referring to the ship as the USS Doris Miller.

Thomas Bledsoe, Doris Miller's great-nephew, relayed the family's shock and concerns, stating they were not informed of the potential change. The Navy is reportedly considering renaming another warship after Miller and recommending him for the Medal of Honor, the highest decoration for military valor, which requires final authorization from Congress and approval from Trump. Ship-naming authority rests with the Navy secretary, but defense secretaries are often deeply involved, meaning the decision will be made by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao. Naming an aircraft carrier after a sitting president would be an unprecedented move.

Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) criticized the potential renaming. The Pentagon and a Department of Defense spokesperson stated they have nothing to announce at this time. Trump also ordered the USS Doris Miller to rip out its electromagnetic catapults in favor of steam-powered systems, and the ship could be among the first to have this Trump-ordered system.