Former West Virginia state senator and retired US Army Major Richard Ojeda has condemned the administration of US President Donald Trump’s indifference toward the harsh conditions of American troops aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.
“No commander in chief I have ever served under, democrat or republican has ever had this level of indifference for our troops,” Ojeda wrote in a post published on social media platform X on Sunday.
I served 24 years in the United States military. No commander in chief I have ever served under, democrat or republican, has ever had this level of indifference for our troops.
NONE. It’s a damn disgrace. These people are spitting in the faces of our service members everyday.
— Maj. (Ret.) Richard Ojeda (@Ojeda4America) August 16, 2026
His remarks come as the Lincoln approaches 260 consecutive days at sea, with about 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard during its extended deployment amid the US aggression against Iran.
Sailors and their families have reported shortages of food, water, and basic supplies, plumbing failures, disrupted mail, and exhausting working schedules.
Reports have also raised concerns over the crew’s mental health, including incidents involving sailors going overboard during the unusually prolonged deployment.
Ojeda sharply criticized the administration for using patriotic imagery while failing to properly support service members, writing that political leaders “will wrap themselves in the flag, call themselves patriots, and use our troops for photo ops.”
He then denounced Trump, calling him a “draft-dodging coward” and saying that the administration was “too busy building golden statues” while US troops were going hungry.
The latest round of US-Israeli aggression against Iran began on February 28, when Washington and Tel Aviv forces launched large-scale strikes on Iranian territory.
The US armed forces extensively used the aircraft carrier and its strike group during the aggression, targeting civilian and governmental locations across Iran.
Iran responded with daily waves of missiles and drone strikes against US and Israeli assets under the operational codename “True Promise 4.”
