Navy Weighs Renaming Carrier After Trump, Reports Say

U.S. Navy officials are reportedly considering renaming an aircraft carrier currently under construction after President Donald Trump, potentially abandoning plans to honor Doris Miller, the World War II hero who became the first Black sailor to receive the Navy Cross.

CNN first reported the discussions, citing three people familiar with the matter who said the Navy is weighing a change to the name of the USS Doris Miller. According to the report, internal discussions have included the possibility of naming the Ford-class carrier after Trump, an unprecedented move for a sitting president.

The Navy announced during Trump’s first term that the carrier would be named for Miller. CNN reported that officials are now considering honoring Miller with another Navy vessel instead, although it remains unclear whether that ship would be another aircraft carrier or a smaller vessel. NBC News separately confirmed that discussions about changing the carrier’s name have been underway for several months.

The Navy is also reportedly preparing to recommend Miller for the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration for valor. Any such award would ultimately require approval from Congress.

CNN reported that Navy officials have stopped using “USS Doris Miller” when referring to the ship internally. A recent White House proclamation concerning plans to return the new carrier to steam-powered aircraft catapults identified the vessel by its hull classification, CVN-81, rather than by Miller’s name.

The Navy intends to commission at least 10 Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers as replacements for the aging nuclear-powered Nimitz-class fleet. The lead ship, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is already in service, while the USS John F. Kennedy is undergoing sea trials and is expected to enter service next year. Other planned ships include the USS Enterprise, a name previously used for two aircraft carriers, followed by the USS William J. Clinton and USS George W. Bush.

Miller served aboard the U.S. Navy during World War II and became known for his actions during Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. Although he had not been trained to operate an anti-aircraft gun, Miller used one during the attack and is credited with shooting down at least one Japanese aircraft. He also helped move wounded personnel to safety. His Navy Cross citation recognized his “distinguished devotion to duty, extraordinary courage and disregard for his own personal safety” during the attack. The citation says Miller helped carry his mortally wounded captain to safety while under heavy fire and continued operating the machine gun against Japanese aircraft until ordered to abandon the bridge.

The reported discussion over the carrier’s name comes amid other controversies surrounding the use of Trump’s name on major national institutions and projects. Last year, a board appointed by Trump voted to rename the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as the “Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Center” and added his name to the building’s facade. The move prompted criticism and lawsuits, and a federal judge later ruled for the plaintiffs and ordered the board to remove Trump’s name. Although the name was removed, the board voted this month to add an inscription stating that the facility was “Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump.”

Trump also announced plans last year for a new class of nuclear-powered guided-missile battleships known as the “Trump Class.” Despite the class designation, the first vessel is expected to be named USS Defiant. The proposed ships are intended to form the centerpiece of Trump’s so-called “Golden Fleet.” Aircraft carriers have served as the Navy’s principal fleet flagships since the end of World War II, replacing battleships, while Trump has said the new class would be the most lethal surface combatant in the Navy.