The US Navy is considering removing the name of one of World War II’s best known Black service members from a new aircraft carrier under construction in Virginia and, instead, potentially naming the ship after President Donald Trump, according to three people familiar with the discussions.
The proposal would mark the first time a Navy vessel has been named for a sitting president, the sources said. They added that the internal talks about changing the carrier’s designation have been under way for much of the summer.
Carrier Currently Named for Doris Miller
The carrier, a Ford-class ship, was named during Trump’s first term. In 2020, the Navy announced that it would be designated the USS Doris Miller, honouring Doris Miller’s actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor, during a ceremony on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Miller, who served as a cook aboard the USS West Virginia, helped move the ship’s mortally wounded captain to safety. He then took control of an anti-aircraft gun despite having no formal training on the weapon. He was later credited with shooting down at least one Japanese aircraft during the assault, when only 29 of roughly 350 planes were brought down.
Miller was awarded the Navy Cross, the service’s second-highest award for combat heroism, behind only the Medal of Honor. The Navy Cross was granted in a period when the armed forces remained racially segregated and Black personnel were not always recognised for their service.
His citation described how he assisted in moving the wounded captain “in the face of a serious fire” and later operated a machine gun against attacking Japanese aircraft until ordered to leave the bridge.
Medal Of Honor Recommendation and Other Honours
Miller died in November 1943 when a Japanese submarine torpedoed the USS Liscome Bay during the Battle of Makin, killing 700 sailors. The USS Doris Miller would have been the first US aircraft carrier named for a Black American and the first to honour an enlisted service member, according to the Navy announcements made at the time of naming.
It would also have been the second Navy ship to carry Miller’s name. A destroyer named for him entered the fleet in 1972 and was decommissioned in 1991.
Separately, the sources said Miller is under strong consideration to have his Navy Cross upgraded to the Medal of Honor, the country’s highest recognition for combat valor. One of the people familiar with the discussions said Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth recently sent a memo to Congress recommending Miller receive the Medal of Honor.
Aircraft carriers are generally named for presidents, while Medal of Honor recipients are more often commemorated with destroyers or other smaller warships designed for direct combat roles. One source said the Navy is seeking to name a different ship after Miller if the current naming decision changes.
Prior Cases and Family Reaction
CNN first reported that the Navy was considering altering the carrier’s name. The White House referred questions from ABC News to the Pentagon, which did not respond to a request for comment. A Navy spokesperson said in a statement that the service “has no announcement to share at this time.”
Renaming a commissioned or planned vessel is relatively uncommon. One notable recent example involved the removal of Confederate names from ships after a congressionally mandated effort across the Department of Defense. Hegseth also ordered the Navy last year to rename a ship honouring Harvey Milk, a Navy veteran and gay rights activist.
Picture courtesy of ABC News
Miller’s great-nephew, Thomas Bledsoe, is the official spokesperson for the family. In comments reported by ABC News, he said the discussion about stripping Miller’s name came as a shock and that the family hoped it would not happen, while also noting they had heard the possibility of naming another carrier for Miller.
In February 2020, Trump referenced the Navy’s choice to name the carrier for Miller at a White House event. He said no aircraft carrier had been named for him and suggested one might be one day.
Since taking office in his second term, Trump’s name has appeared on other projects, including a bill signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to rename the Palm Beach International Airport as the Donald J. Trump International Airport and a State Department change naming the US Institute of Peace after him. There is also an ongoing legal dispute about Trump’s name appearing on the Kennedy Center.
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22 August 2026
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