Morning Note

The USS Abraham Lincoln left San Diego for the Middle East last November. It was only supposed to remain abroad until May, but wound up staying in foreign waters for far longer thanks to the Iran War. The experience was so bad that many of the ship’s 5,000 sailors wanted to kill themselves. Now, it is finally ending.

U.S. officials confirmed on Thursday that the USS Abraham Lincoln is heading home. The news comes as family members of Americans aboard the vessel have blown the whistle on its terrible conditions. It reportedly has moldy showers, scarce and terrible food, broken toilets, and no soap, deodorant, or toothpaste. Donald Trump, however, has brushed aside concerns about the men and women on the aircraft carrier, saying they actually have been stuck in the Middle East for “not nearly long enough.” That is rich coming from a man who has never served in the military.

The Japan-based USS George Washington has arrived in the region to replace the USS Lincoln. The latter will take roughly three weeks to return to California.

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