CNN reported on 2026-08-20 that the US Navy is considering renaming its fourth Gerald R. Ford-class nuclear aircraft carrier, CVN-81, from USS Doris Miller to USS Donald Trump. ^[1] The US Navy aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73) has deployed to the Middle East to undertake a new mission in a region marked by rising tensions. ^[2] CVN-81 was purchased in January 2019 along with CVN-80 USS Enterprise for $15.2 billion (about €13.12 billion). ^[3] The name Doris Miller honors the first African American sailor awarded the Navy Cross for heroism during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. ^[4] The White House is analyzing a technical reconfiguration of CVN-81 that could cancel a $1.2 billion contract with General Atomics for the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and replace it with steam catapults, along with replacing advanced weapon elevators with conventional hydraulic ones. ^[5] During its previous deployment, the USS Abraham Lincoln accumulated nearly 200 consecutive days at sea, representing a prolonged effort for its crew. ^[6] The deployment of the USS George Washington is strategically aimed at maintaining a permanent US naval presence in the Middle East and protecting key commercial routes such as the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz. ^[7] The USS George Washington is tasked with relieving the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), which remained in the area for over eight months performing high-demand operations. ^[8]