Report: Navy may rename carrier planned to honor Doris Miller after Trump

The U.S. Navy has faced criticism after a report said the Navy is working to rename an aircraft carrier under construction that officials previously announced would be called the USS Doris Miller, in honor of the Black World War II sailor Doris Miller. The report, published by The Guardian on August 21, said the carrier could instead be named after President Donald Trump.

According to the Guardian, the carrier had been set up under earlier Navy messaging to honor Miller, and the reported shift is being discussed within the administration. The report did not provide a public schedule for any change, nor did it describe the formal steps the Navy would follow if a new name is selected.

The potential renaming has raised questions among critics about recognition for past service members and about whether political considerations would override a long-established naming practice for major ships. The report framed the development as part of the broader scrutiny facing the Trump administration over how public honors are decided and communicated.

The Navy’s earlier decision, as described by the Guardian, meant the ship was publicly linked to Miller before the new reports of a possible change. If the naming were altered, the practical impact would be immediate for documentation and procurement communications that often rely on a ship’s designated name during design, outfitting, and contracting workflows, even before commissioning.

The report also described the carrier naming as a focal point for debate over the administration’s priorities. The Guardian said the Navy had already announced the Doris Miller name and that the reported reconsideration is now under discussion, indicating that the original plan may not be final despite earlier public statements.

As of the Guardian’s publication, no official Navy statement had been cited in the report confirming a name change or explaining a rationale for abandoning the USS Doris Miller designation. Any outcome would likely depend on further official announcements, including how the Navy addresses the previously communicated name, and what internal or statutory process governs final naming decisions for new carriers.

If the Navy proceeds with a new name, the change would set up a public dispute over whether the carrier naming reflects a matter of commemoration and continuity or a move to elevate a contemporary political figure. Supporters and critics would likely point to different principles, but the only confirmed facts in the reporting are that the Navy previously announced the Doris Miller name and that, as reported, it is now considering a different designation.