The U.S. Navy is weighing renaming an aircraft carrier under construction from the USS Doris Miller to honor President Donald Trump, according to sources familiar with internal discussions. The move has triggered immediate backlash from civil rights organizations and members of Congress.
Doris Miller was a Navy cook who became a war hero during the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Despite having no formal training on the weapon, he shot down between four and six Japanese bombers. He died at sea in 1943 when a Japanese torpedo struck the USS Liscome Bay, killing two-thirds of the crew.
For his actions at Pearl Harbor, Miller was awarded the Navy Cross. His citation details how he assisted his mortally wounded captain on the bridge of the battleship USS West Virginia under enemy fire, then manned a machine gun against attacking Japanese aircraft.
Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP, called the potential renaming "a slap in the face to every war hero and every service member who has worn the uniform." Johnson said Miller "earned his place in American history through courage, sacrifice, and service," and criticized Trump for wanting to honor himself rather than serve the country.
"It's beyond comprehension for a president to want his own name on a Navy ship while our armed forces are living in deteriorating conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln," Johnson said. He noted that no carrier in the U.S. Navy has ever been named for a sitting president.
Johnson added that Trump is "making a mockery" of the legacy of millions of Black women and men who have served in the military, saying service members "signed up to defend the nation, not the fragile ego of one man."
U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, a retired Navy captain, also opposed the change, asserting that Miller's name should remain on the aircraft carrier because of his heroism at Pearl Harbor.
Miller's family learned about the potential renaming through news reports and said they were unaware of any such discussions.
The U.S. Navy declined to comment. The White House referred inquiries to the Department of Defense, which also declined to comment.
