Reports that sailors aboard a US aircraft carrier in the Middle East are trying to jump off the side highlight Donald Trump's contempt for US service personnel, as pressure mounts on the administration's ability to wage war in the region.
Six Months into Iran War
The US president, who began the year high on his own success after the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and a bombing raid on Iranian nuclear facilities, is now looking for a way out six months into the Iran war. Problems are growing "like weeds all around him," according to an opinion piece by Conor Wilson.
Last week, the administration had voluntarily tied its arms behind its back by firing thousands of missiles with no plan on how to replace them, with implications for the war and the world at large.
USS Abraham Lincoln's Record Deployment
This week, reports emerged of US sailors attempting to throw themselves off the side of US aircraft carriers in the Gulf as they crumble under the strain of a record-breaking prolonged deployment with no end in sight. The USS Abraham Lincoln has spent more than 250 days at sea and hasn't made a port call in 200 days, setting a record for consecutive days at sea.
Mental health episodes amongst crew, shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, and plumbing issues have blighted the aircraft carrier, impacting the 5,000 sailors onboard.
Administration's Outlook on Defence
The situation strikes at the heart of the US administration's outlook on defence. Despite bluster about "looking after American warfighters," Trump, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, and others at the heart of the US government increasingly see American troops as playthings whose primary existence is not to protect the US constitution but to further the ends of the wannabe strongman currently in residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Trump might still believe he is untouchable, but the problems are mounting quickly and in such a way that even an accomplished fact denier like Trump will be unable to dismiss them as "fake news."
