Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough has criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after reports raised concerns about the conditions faced by sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. Military Times reported that the aircraft carrier has spent more than eight months supporting U.S. military operations against Iran in the Middle East. Scarborough called the situation “insane by any measure.”
Joe Scarborough blasted Pentagon leadership for keeping a carrier deployed with no return date
The USS Abraham Lincoln deployment began on Nov. 21, 2025. However, they have extended the mission, and there is still no public date for when the sailors will return home.
Meanwhile, the long deployment has reportedly created several problems. According to The Military Times, sailors’ families have raised concerns about long work hours, food shortages, contaminated water and moldy showers. In addition, basic supplies such as toothpaste, soap and deodorant have reportedly been running low.
There are also growing concerns about the sailors’ mental health. Reports have indicated that several sailors attempted or went through with jumping overboard. As a result, Scarborough questioned the Pentagon’s priorities and took aim at Hegseth’s leadership.
He said, “This is what happens when you have a defense secretary that’s obsessed [with] the color of people’s skin, whether somebody is a man or a woman, testosterone levels, this obsession over DEI. That’s all we ever hear about.” Scarborough continued, “What we’re not hearing about is, well, the basics.”
He then argued that the situation should not force sailors to simply push through it. “This doesn’t have anything to do with toughness or this or that or the other,” he said. “There are normal rotations. This is insane by any measure at all.”
Moreover, Scarborough raised concerns about military readiness and ammunition supplies. He said, “We have our sailors being treated like third-class citizens, treated like trash, actually.” We’re not taking care of job one, which is, again, military readiness.”
Finally, Scarborough questioned why Hegseth continues to serve in the Trump administration. “Why? I mean, this is a guy that’s caused problems time and time again,” he said. “Any other Secretary of Defense would have been fired by now, and I’m not sure why he’s still there.”
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Originally reported by Deepshikha Sarkar for Mandatory
