US President Donald Trump has denied all the problems on board the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln ("Abraham Lincoln"), whose crew did not go ashore for more than eight and a half months, participating in the operation against Iran. This is reported by The New York Times.
Trump's comments came in response to a question from an NYT reporter about a shortage of basic supplies, safety and hygiene issues, and the team's deteriorating mental health. When the reporter said that the families of the crew members were concerned, Trump retorted: "No, they are not concerned." Then he was asked if he was concerned about the mental health of the crew and did he think that the Abraham Lincoln voyage was too long?
"No. No. No," he said, "it hasn't been delayed at all."
However, he immediately announced that this aircraft carrier would soon be replaced by "another very similar ship." According to an American official who spoke on condition of anonymity, the aircraft carrier George Washington will be sent to replace the Lincoln.
"Trump's statements were the latest example of downplaying the consequences of his decision to attack Iran, which led to a conflict that lasts much longer than he originally promised, and the goals and outcome of which are becoming increasingly uncertain," writes the NYT. — Trump presented the war as a demonstration of American power. In his many statements about the victory, he described in detail the successful operations that, according to him, destroyed Iran's military potential. He constantly downplayed the costs of the war, including 18 dead American servicemen and hundreds of wounded. He compared these losses with previous, much longer and bloodier wars, such as the Vietnam War, to prove that the conflict with Iran was relatively bloodless for the United States."
Earlier this week, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, outlined the problems reported on the ship:
"There have been numerous reports of shortages of basic supplies, water pollution, problems with water supply and sanitation, deteriorating mental health, problems with safety on deck and disruptions in the postal system, due to which many humanitarian aid packages sent to the ship were lost en route for several months."
However, the day before, speaking at an event in Garden City, New York, President Trump continued to defend the war and brag about his successes.
"I will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz the territory of the United States," he told the audience, even though Iran has actually blocked the strait since the beginning of the war.
Trump also said, as in the past, that his goal — to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons — is worth the costs that have fallen on the shoulders of Americans, whose wallets have suffered from rising gasoline prices and other rising costs caused by the war.
"So remember this—when you have to pay a little more, if it's only $4, that's fine," he said. "I will never apologize. I did the right thing."