Navy In Talks To Rename Ship After Trump Instead Of WWII Hero, Reports Say

Key Points:

• U.S. Navy officials are reportedly considering renaming an under-construction aircraft carrier from USS Doris Miller to honor former President Donald Trump, reversing earlier plans to recognize the World War II hero and first Black sailor awarded the Navy Cross.
• The Navy has ceased referring to the carrier as USS Doris Miller internally, now using its hull number CVN-81, coinciding with a White House proclamation about switching the ship's aircraft catapults back to steam-based systems.
• Doris Miller is celebrated for his heroic actions during the Pearl Harbor attack, where he manned an anti-aircraft gun and aided wounded sailors despite not being trained for combat, earning the Navy Cross for extraordinary courage.
• The renaming controversy follows similar disputes over Trump's name on the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where legal challenges led to removal of his name from the facade but an inscription honoring his renovation efforts remains.
• Trump has also promoted plans for a new "Trump-Class" fleet of nuclear-powered guided-missile battleships, intended as a centerpiece of his "Golden Fleet" vision, though the lead ship will be named USS Defiant rather than after him.