--- title: "US Navy considers renaming USS Doris Miller aircraft carrier after Donald Trump" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-navy-considers-renaming-uss-doris-miller-aircraft-carrier-after-donald-trump" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/us-navy-considers-renaming-uss-doris-miller-aircraft-carrier-after-donald-trump" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-navy-considers-renaming-uss-doris-miller-aircraft-carrier-after-donald-trump.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/us-navy-considers-renaming-uss-doris-miller-aircraft-carrier-after-donald-trump" category: "Conflict & Security" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-21T03:05:35.628Z" source_reported: "2026-08-21T02:41:10.725Z" updated: "2026-08-21T03:05:35.628Z" trust_score: 78 critic_score: 75 hype_score: 35 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-21T03:00:13.738843+00:00" --- # US Navy considers renaming USS Doris Miller aircraft carrier after Donald Trump *The Ford-class carrier was designated to honour a Black Pearl Harbor hero, but internal discussions suggest a change* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 78 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports and 17 digests corroborate the central claim. - Craft 75 of 100, higher is better. Quotes and figures are present in full reports; digests lack depth. - Hype 35 of 100, lower is better. Some digests use loaded language; full reports are measured. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - The US Navy is considering renaming a Ford-class aircraft carrier originally designated USS Doris Miller, a Black sailor honoured for actions at Pearl Harbor. - Internal discussions reportedly include naming the carrier after Donald Trump, which would be the first time a US aircraft carrier honours a sitting president. - The Navy may instead name another ship after Doris Miller and is recommending him for a posthumous Medal of Honor. - The carrier’s keel-laying ceremony is expected by the end of 2026, with delivery not due until 2034. The US Navy is reviewing the name of a Ford-class aircraft carrier under construction, which was designated USS Doris Miller in 2020. The decision to honour Miller, a Black sailor who defended Pearl Harbor in 1941, was announced during Donald Trump’s first term as president. Three sources familiar with internal discussions told CNN the Navy is now working on a plan to change the carrier’s name. Two of the sources said the possibility of naming the vessel after Trump has been raised within the Pentagon. No US aircraft carrier has ever been named after a sitting president. The Navy is also considering renaming another ship after Miller and is recommending him for a posthumous Medal of Honor, which would require congressional approval. Miller’s family told CNN they had not been informed of the potential name change or the Medal of Honor recommendation. Doris Miller, a mess attendant third class, helped carry wounded crew members to safety during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor before manning an anti-aircraft gun despite no formal training. He was killed in action in 1943. The carrier named in his honour is one of three Ford-class vessels under development, with the USS Gerald R. Ford already operational. The Navy has not commented on the reported discussions. ## What the reports disagree on The timeline of the renaming discussions is unclear. CNN reported the effort has been underway since earlier this year. The Independent did not specify when the discussions began. The Navy’s internal reference to the ship also differs: CNN said the Navy has effectively stopped calling it USS Doris Miller and now refers to it only by its hull number, CVN-81. The Independent did not mention this change. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated digests mentioned the Navy’s reported plan to rename another ship after Doris Miller. The centre-rated digests also omitted this detail, except for KIFI’s full report. The left-rated digests carried the information, but only The Independent’s full report included the Navy’s recommendation for a posthumous Medal of Honor. None of the digests mentioned the Navy’s internal shift to referring to the carrier only by its hull number, CVN-81, which was reported by CNN and KIFI. ## Who covered it Shares of the 19 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 42% (8) - Centre: 47% (9) - Right: 11% (2) 2 of 21 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-21T03:00:13.738843+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-21T03:15:18.608Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated digests led on the potential renaming of the carrier after Trump and the historical significance of the USS Doris Miller as the first aircraft carrier named after a Black sailor. The Independent’s full report described the move as "scrapping" the plan to honour Miller and noted the Navy’s consideration of another ship for his name. Raw Story’s digest called the potential change "egregious". - The Independent quoted Thomas Bledsoe, Miller’s great-nephew, who said the family had not been informed of the name change or the Medal of Honor recommendation. The report also included details of Miller’s actions at Pearl Harbor and his subsequent Navy Cross award. Boing Boing’s digest described Trump as a "fat, fraudulent loser" in its headline. ### Centre - The centre-rated digests led on the Navy’s internal discussions about renaming the carrier, with most repeating CNN’s phrasing that the vessel was "slated to honor a Black war hero". Live Mint and Hindustan Times framed the story as a choice between Miller and Trump, with Hindustan Times asking, "Is Trump behind US Navy’s effort to rename aircraft carrier?" - KIFI’s full report included the Navy’s consideration of updated naming guidelines, including the possibility of naming ships after presidents. It also noted the Navy’s internal shift to referring to the carrier only by its hull number, CVN-81. The report quoted former Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly’s 2020 remarks about Miller’s heroism and the significance of his uniform. ### Right - The two right-rated digests, from Yonhap News Agency and KTEN, led on the Navy’s consideration of changing the carrier’s name from Miller to Trump. Yonhap News Agency framed the story as a question: "Will the Name of the Latest U.S. Aircraft Carrier Be Changed From a Black War Hero to Trump?" Neither digest included details about the Navy’s potential alternative ship for Miller or the Medal of Honor recommendation. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 4 - high: 10 - unknown: 4 - veryHigh: 3 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [NBC News](https://nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/navy-discusses-renaming-aircraft-carrier-trump-black-uss-doris-miller-rcna593667) — Navy discusses renaming aircraft carrier after Trump instead of heroic Black sailor - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/ship-name-black-hero-navy-trump-b3036767.html) — Navy considers scrapping plan to name carrier after Black hero - [The Independent (US)](https://the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/ship-name-black-hero-navy-trump-b3036767.html) — Navy considers scrapping plan to name carrier after Black hero - [Live Mint](https://livemint.com/news/us-news/uss-doris-miller-or-uss-donald-trump-new-report-hints-at-potential-rechristening-of-future-aircraft-carrier-cvn81-11787271720645.html) — USS Doris Miller or ‘USS Donald Trump’? New report hints at potential rechristening of future aircraft carrier CVN - [Hindustan Times](https://hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/who-was-doris-miller-is-trump-behind-us-navys-effort-to-rename-aircraft-carrier-pearl-harbor-hero-uss-doris-miller-101787269942162.html) — Who was Doris Miller? Is Trump behind US Navy's effort to rename aircraft carrier named after Pearl Harbor hero? - [The Sunday Guardian Live](https://sundayguardianlive.com/world/us-navy-renaming-uss-doris-miller-or-uss-donald-trump-trump-could-get-aircraft-carrier-name-as-black-pearl-harbor-hero-faces-losing-cvn-81-honor-266027) — US Navy Renaming USS Doris Miller or ‘USS Donald Trump’? Trump Could Get Aircraft Carrier Name as Black Pearl Harbor Hero Faces Losing CVN-81 Honor - [Joe.My.God.](https://joemygod.com/2026/08/us-navy-may-rename-new-aircraft-carrier-for-trump) — US Navy May Rename New Aircraft Carrier For Trump - [Raw Story](https://rawstory.com/trump-navy-2677741156) — Outrage as Trump's name slated to replace Black war hero on aircraft carrier: 'Egregious' - [연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency](https://yna.co.kr/view/AKR20260821014100071) — Will the Name of the Latest U.S. Aircraft Carrier Be Changed From a Black War Hero to Trump? - [WKBT](https://news8000.com/news/politics/national-politics/exclusive-navy-weighs-renaming-carrier-slated-to-honor-black-war-hero-potentially-switching-it-to/article_68b1cde7-cb54-5718-8d60-478e32c0601a.html) — Exclusive: Navy weighs renaming carrier slated to honor Black war hero, potentially switching it to Trump - [CNN](https://cnn.com/2026/08/20/politics/navy-weighs-renaming-carrier-black-war-hero-to-trump) — Exclusive: Navy weighs renaming carrier slated to honor Black war hero, potentially switching it to Trump - [KIFI](https://localnews8.com/politics/cnn-us-politics/2026/08/20/exclusive-navy-weighs-renaming-carrier-slated-to-honor-black-war-hero-potentially-switching-it-to-trump) — Navy weighs renaming carrier slated to honor Black war hero, potentially switching it to Trump - [KRDO](https://krdo.com/news/2026/08/20/exclusive-navy-weighs-renaming-carrier-slated-to-honor-black-war-hero-potentially-switching-it-to-trump) — Navy weighs renaming carrier slated to honor Black war hero, potentially switching it to Trump - [KVIA](https://kvia.com/politics/cnn-us-politics/2026/08/20/exclusive-navy-weighs-renaming-carrier-slated-to-honor-black-war-hero-potentially-switching-it-to-trump) — Exclusive: Navy weighs renaming carrier slated to honor Black war hero, potentially switching it to Trump - [KEYT](https://keyt.com/politics/cnn-us-politics/2026/08/20/exclusive-navy-weighs-renaming-carrier-slated-to-honor-black-war-hero-potentially-switching-it-to-trump) — Navy weighs renaming carrier slated to honor Black war hero, potentially switching it to Trump - [KESQ](https://kesq.com/news/national-politics/cnn-us-politics/2026/08/20/exclusive-navy-weighs-renaming-carrier-slated-to-honor-black-war-hero-potentially-switching-it-to-trump) — Navy weighs renaming carrier slated to honor Black war hero, potentially switching it to Trump - [KTEN](https://kten.com/news/politics/exclusive-navy-weighs-renaming-carrier-slated-to-honor-black-war-hero-potentially-switching-it-to/article_92ffc049-e405-5308-9309-16abc36e77f8.html) — Exclusive: Navy weighs renaming carrier slated to honor Black war hero, potentially switching it to Trump - [Local 3 News](https://local3news.com/regional-national/exclusive-navy-weighs-renaming-carrier-slated-to-honor-black-war-hero-potentially-switching-it-to/article_d82321a6-a2ca-538e-8c1a-d9f666f4a397.html) — Exclusive: Navy weighs renaming carrier slated to honor Black war hero, potentially switching it to Trump - [CNN Brasil](https://cnnbrasil.com.br/internacional/eua-consideram-renomear-porta-avioes-com-nome-de-heroi-de-guerra-para-trump) — U.S. Consider Renaming Aircraft Carriers as War Hero for Trump - [Mediaite](https://mediaite.com/media/news/us-navy-considers-dropping-plans-to-name-aircraft-carrier-after-black-hero-and-naming-it-after-trump-instead) — US Navy Considers Dropping Plans To Name Aircraft Carrier After Black Hero — And Naming It After Trump Instead - [Boing Boing](https://boingboing.net/2026/08/20/navy-considers-replacing-a-black-pearl-harbor-hero-with-a-fat-fraudulent-loser.html) — Navy considers replacing a Black Pearl Harbor hero with a fat, fraudulent loser ## Questions **Why was the USS Doris Miller originally named after Doris Miller?** Doris Miller was a Black sailor who helped defend Pearl Harbor in 1941. He carried wounded crew members to safety and manned an anti-aircraft gun despite no formal training. The Navy announced the carrier’s name in 2020 to honour his heroism, as reported by The Independent and CNN. **Has a US aircraft carrier ever been named after a sitting president before?** No. The reports agree that naming an aircraft carrier after a sitting president would be unprecedented. The Independent and CNN both noted this fact in their coverage of the potential renaming. **What happens next in the renaming process?** The Navy must finalise the carrier’s name before its keel-laying ceremony, expected by the end of 2026. The ship is not due for delivery until 2034, as reported by KIFI. Congressional approval would be required if the Navy recommends a posthumous Medal of Honor for Miller. **What are the Navy’s reported alternatives for honouring Doris Miller?** The Navy is considering renaming another ship after Doris Miller and recommending him for a posthumous Medal of Honor, according to CNN and The Independent. Neither detail was mentioned in the right-rated digests. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-navy-considers-renaming-uss-doris-miller-aircraft-carrier-after-donald-trump. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "US Navy considers renaming USS Doris Miller aircraft carrier after Donald Trump", https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-navy-considers-renaming-uss-doris-miller-aircraft-carrier-after-donald-trump