Trump Derangement Syndrome hit dry dock as the head of the NAACP leveraged talking points and anonymous claims to accuse the president of a “slap in the face to every war hero.”
Before entering politics, billionaire businessman Donald Trump was known for his branding with his name on hotels, casinos, and more. Now, a report that a naval vessel may honor President Donald Trump set NAACP President Derrick Johnson to rage, as the carrier was already designated to honor WWII hero Doris Miller.
Friday, Johnson responded to a report from CNN’s Haley Britzky that the U.S. Navy is working on potentially renaming the CVN-81, currently under construction, from the USS Doris Miller to instead bear the president’s name.
“This is a slap in the face to every war hero and to every service member who has worn the uniform,” asserted Johnson. “It’s beyond comprehension for a president to want his own name on a Navy ship while our armed forces are living in deteriorating conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.”
This is a slap in the face to every war hero and to every service member who has worn the uniform. It’s beyond comprehension for a president to want his own name on a Navy ship while our armed forces are living in deteriorating conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. https://t.co/3H8nFJ6w5Y
— Derrick Johnson (@DerrickNAACP) August 21, 2026
The ire preempting parroted leftist talking points appeared to have overlooked a number of details, including that the heroism of Miller, famously portrayed by Cuba Gooding Jr. in the 2001 film “Pearl Harbor,” would further be honored by naming another vessel after him as efforts were renewed to bestow the Medal of Honor. Miller, who was killed in action in 1943, was the first black sailor to receive the Navy Cross as a result of his service on December 7, 1941.
Also left out was the fact that Miller was previously the namesake of a vessel decommissioned in 1991, the DE/FF-1091.
Worth noting, during a National African American History Month reception held at the White House in February 2020, Trump himself said, “At Pearl Harbor, it was an African American sailor, Doris Miller, who was among the first to return enemy fire. Last month, the Navy announced that the next American aircraft carrier will bear the proud name of ‘USS Doris Miller.’ That’s pretty good. They won’t give me that honor. That’s a big boat. That’s a big ship.”
When someone in the crowd expressed, “One day,” Trump replied, “Alright. One day, maybe,” before going on to add, “Hundreds of thousands of courageous African Americans defend our flag today. We are proudly and profoundly grateful to be joined by several members of the United States military this evening. We salute your tireless devotion and all of the great work that you do for our nation.”
As for the CVN-81, set to be the fourth Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, its scheduled commission isn’t until 2034. An August 13 fact sheet released about shipbuilding mentioned the vessel and included no mention of an official name, as the Secretary of War was directed to “replace the Advanced Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems and Advanced Weapons Elevators with traditional steam and hydraulic systems.”
Meanwhile, CNN’s report had only offered two unnamed sources about the supposed “internal conversations” about naming while stating, “The Navy directed questions from CNN to the Office of the Secretary of Defense. A Department of Defense spokesperson said they had nothing to announce at this time.”
