Gov. Pritzker Demands Answers from Trump Administration on USS Abraham Lincoln
August 18, 2026
CHICAGO – Governor Pritzker today sent a letter to Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressing his deep concern about the 5,000 brave men and women currently aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln as well as the lack of transparency and accountability from the President and Department of Defense (DoD) about the status of this deployment. The USS Lincoln has been deployed at sea more than 250 days with the Trump Administration refusing to provide an end date.
The Trump Administration also continues to ignore questions from Congress about the status of servicemembers including from the State of Illinois – not even confirming how many Illinoisans are currently on board.
“I am greatly concerned about reports outlining deteriorating mental health, including multiple incidents in which sailors attempted or threatened to go overboard, alongside accounts from families describing exhaustion, acute distress, and difficulty accessing mental healthcare,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The Trump Administration's refusal to provide any information represents a severe breach of responsibility and lack of accountability. The seriousness of these reports demands a thorough, transparent accounting of the conditions aboard the ship and immediate action to address any deficiencies identified.”
In the letter, Governor Pritzker requested an immediate response to the following questions:
- How many Illinoisans are currently aboard the USS Lincoln?
- What mental health services are being provided for service members aboard the ship? Will there be a full investigation of what went wrong during this deployment? Will that report be made public?
- What were the original objectives of this mission and what has changed that justifies an indefinite deployment?
Read a copy of the Governor’s letter here:
Gov. Pritzker USS Abraham Lincoln Letter.pdf
PDF - 130 Kb
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