New Facts: Navy Considers Renaming Carrier to Trump

The Navy is considering renaming the future Gerald R. Ford–class carrier designated CVN‑81, which was announced as USS Doris Miller in January 2020, to honor Donald J. Trump. Such a change would be unprecedented: no U.S. carrier has ever been renamed and no carrier has been named for a sitting president.

CVN‑81 was intended to be the first U.S. aircraft carrier named after an African American and the first named for an enlisted sailor for actions performed while serving in the ranks. The service and the White House have stopped using the Doris Miller name in internal documents and now refer to the hull only as CVN‑81.

The Navy faces a tight timeline: the ship’s keel‑laying is expected at the end of this year and delivery is not due until roughly 2032–2034. The Navy is planning to name another warship for Doris Miller and is moving to recommend him for the Medal of Honor, a step that would require congressional and presidential authorization.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources