The U.S. Navy is considering renaming the USS Doris Miller, an aircraft carrier named after a Black sailor honored for his heroism at Pearl Harbor, to honor Donald Trump.

A naval aircraft carrier under construction was slated to bear the name of a black enlisted sailor, the first for an African-American. Now the Navy is planning to replace Doris (Dorie) Miller’s name on the ship, with that of president Donald Trump, CNN reports. No carrier in the US Navy has ever been named for a sitting president. The citation awarding Doris Miller the Navy Cross from his actions at Pearl Harbor reads: While at the side of his Captain on the bridge of the battleship U.S.S. WEST VIRGINIA, Mess Attendant First Class Doris Miller, despite enemy strafing and bombing and in the face of a serious fire, assisted in moving his Captain, who had been mortally wounded, to a place of greater safety, and later manned and operated a machine gun directed at enemy Japanese attacking aircraft until ordered to leave the bridge. The Navy cook had no formal training on the 50-cal. He reportedly shot down four to six Japanese bombers, nonetheless. Miller died at sea in 1943 with two-thirds of the crew lost to a Japanese torpedo aboard the Liscome Bay. His family has long advocated for his award to be upgraded to a Medal of Honor. Cuba Gooding Jr. portrayed him in the 2001 film “Pearl Harbor.” Social media reaction has been sharply negative about the reported change to use Trump’s name, with a popular comment on Reddit summarizing sentiment: “Hmmm, who should the 20 billion dollar navy ship be named after? The Navy War Hero? Or the draft dodger?”

US senator Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat and retired Navy officer, wrote in a post on X: Dorie Miller’s bravery at Pearl Harbor is legendary and resulted in him being awarded the Navy Cross. This aircraft carrier shouldn’t be renamed at all, let alone for Donald Trump, who has denigrated servicemembers like Dorie Miller who have paid the ultimate price. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/aug/21/democrats-progressive-election-politics-live?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/20/politics/navy-weighs-renaming-carrier-black-war-hero-to-trump

The U.S. Navy is considering renaming the USS Doris Miller, an aircraft carrier honoring a Black sailor celebrated for his heroism at Pearl Harbor, after Donald Trump, per CNN. #Blackhistory ⬇️