Archive · 22 Aug 2026
Reports Trump Could Replace Pearl Harbor Hero on Navy Carrier
The Navy had planned to name a new aircraft carrier after Doris Miller.
Miller was a Navy cook who showed great bravery during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
He helped his badly wounded captain and fired a machine gun at attacking planes, even though he had not been trained to use it.
He later received the Navy Cross for what he did.
Miller died in 1943 when the USS Liscome Bay was sunk by a Japanese torpedo.
News reports say the Navy may instead name the carrier after President Donald Trump.
Veterans and civil rights leaders criticized the reported plan, saying it would disrespect Miller and other service members.
The Navy, White House, and Department of Defense have not officially confirmed the renaming.
Reports say the under-construction USS Doris Miller could be renamed after President Donald Trump.
CNN cited three sources familiar with internal discussions, including two who said conversations about the naming had occurred.
Doris Miller, a Navy cook, helped move his wounded captain and operated an anti-aircraft machine gun during the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack.
Miller received the Navy Cross and died in 1943 when the USS Liscome Bay was torpedoed.
NAACP President Derrick Johnson called the reported change a “slap in the face” to veterans and service members.
- Who
- The United States Navy, President Donald Trump, Doris Miller, and Derrick Johnson of the NAACP.
- What
- Reports say a carrier previously designated the USS Doris Miller could be renamed after Trump.
- When
- The reports emerged on Friday; Miller's actions occurred on December 7, 1941.
- Where
- The naming dispute concerns a United States Navy aircraft carrier; Miller's wartime actions took place at Pearl Harbor.
- Why
- The reported change would replace a planned tribute to Miller, but no official reason for the possible renaming has been given.
Critics of the Reported Renaming
Reported Proposal to Honor Trump
Who should be honored
Critics of the Reported Renaming
Derrick Johnson and the NAACP say Miller earned the honor through courage, sacrifice, and military service, so replacing his name would insult veterans and erase an important tribute.
Reported Proposal to Honor Trump
Reports indicate that Navy officials have discussed naming the carrier after Donald Trump, but no official explanation or public defense of the proposal has been provided.
Military naming tradition
Critics of the Reported Renaming
Critics say naming a ship after a sitting president would depart from the Navy's reported tradition and amount to personal branding.
Reported Proposal to Honor Trump
If carried out, the proposal would give a sitting president the honor of having a Navy aircraft carrier named after him, something no United States Navy carrier has previously done.
Treatment of service members
Critics of the Reported Renaming
Johnson linked the reported proposal to what he described as deteriorating conditions for service members aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and said troops serve the nation, not one person's ego.
Reported Proposal to Honor Trump
The reports do not provide a response from Trump or an official rationale addressing the criticism.
- Original planned name
- USS Doris Miller
- Reported new name
- A name honoring President Donald Trump
- Doris Miller's role
- Navy cook aboard the USS West Virginia during the Pearl Harbor attack
- Miller's actions
- He helped move his mortally wounded captain and operated an anti-aircraft machine gun under enemy fire.
- Military award
- Miller received the Navy Cross.
- Miller's death
- He died in 1943 when the USS Liscome Bay was torpedoed; about two-thirds of its crew died.
- Official response
- The Navy and Department of Defense declined to comment, while the White House referred questions to the Department of Defense.
