The Navy is weighing whether to strip a Pearl Harbor hero’s name off a new aircraft carrier and replace it with President Trump’s, according to a new report.
Story Snapshot
- The Navy named CVN-81 “USS Doris Miller” in January 2020, the first carrier ever named for a Black sailor and the first for an enlisted service member.
- Doris Miller earned the Navy Cross for heroic actions during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
- A new report says Navy officials are discussing renaming the carrier after President Trump, though no final decision has been announced.
- The Navy has reportedly referred to the ship only by its hull number, CVN-81, in recent internal communications.
- Naval history shows carriers are often named for presidents, but ship-naming disputes have followed the fleet for over a century.
A Historic First Now Under Review
Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly announced the name USS Doris Miller for CVN-81 during a Martin Luther King Jr. Day ceremony at Pearl Harbor on January 20, 2020. The Navy’s own press release called it the first aircraft carrier named for an African American and the first named for a sailor’s actions in the enlisted ranks. It marked a rare honor tying America’s newest warship to one man’s courage under fire.
The Navy’s All Hands Magazine celebrated the choice at the time, stating the service was proud to “continue honoring Miller’s heroic legacy” by putting his name on the newest Ford-class carrier. That framing made clear the decision wasn’t just symbolic box-checking. It was meant to permanently link Miller’s story to the future of naval aviation for decades of sailors who would serve aboard the ship.
The Hero Behind the Name
Doris Miller was a mess attendant aboard the USS West Virginia when Japanese planes struck Pearl Harbor. Naval History and Heritage Command records confirm he distinguished himself during the attack and earned the Navy Cross for his actions. The National Archives holds a formal commendation for Miller signed by the Secretary of the Navy in March 1942, cementing his place in the official military record.
Miller’s heroism came at a time when Black sailors faced heavy restrictions in Navy service. His actions that day are widely regarded as one of the most compelling stories of individual courage from the Pearl Harbor attack. The Navy had already honored him once before, naming a destroyer escort, USS Miller, after him decades earlier.
Navy Weighs a New Direction
CNN reported on August 20, 2026, citing Navy sources, that officials are now discussing whether to rename CVN-81 after President Trump instead. The report says internal Navy communications have referred to the ship only by its hull number in recent months, rather than by the Doris Miller name it was given six years earlier. No formal announcement or final decision has been made public.
Ship naming authority rests with the Secretary of the Navy, acting under direction of the President, a power dating back to an 1819 act of Congress. That means any change to CVN-81’s name would ultimately require sign-off at the highest levels of the Navy and the White House, not a routine bureaucratic tweak.
Precedent and Politics in Ship Naming
Aircraft carriers have long carried the names of presidents, including USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan, so honoring a sitting or past commander in chief fits a real Navy tradition. But naval historians tracking ship-naming fights note controversy tends to erupt when a name departs from convention or looks driven by politics rather than merit. A carrier named for an enlisted Pearl Harbor hero switching to a sitting president would be a striking departure either way.
Congressional Research Service materials confirm the Secretary of the Navy holds wide discretion over naming, with few binding rules forcing the service to keep a name once chosen. That leaves the Doris Miller name in a gray area. Nothing in law currently prevents a reversal, even though the 2020 naming was announced with clear ceremony and purpose at Pearl Harbor itself.
Trump aircraft carrier and fired journalists: New turmoil at the Pentagon
The US Navy may rename a new carrier for President Trump, replacing Pearl Harbor hero Doris Miller; meanwhile, the Pentagon ousted three Stars and Stripes ed…https://t.co/uju4Eaxwkr pic.twitter.com/JFYEbhM3aV
— Ynet Global (@ynetnews) August 22, 2026
Conservatives who value honoring military sacrifice and conservatives who want to see President Trump’s legacy recognized both have a stake in how this plays out. Miller’s Navy Cross and Pearl Harbor heroism are matters of settled military record, not political opinion. Whatever the Navy ultimately decides, sailors and taxpayers deserve a clear, public explanation rather than a quiet internal shift buried in hull numbers.
Sources:
navy.mil, yahoo.com, news.usni.org, allhands.navy.mil, history.navy.mil
