The U.S. Navy is reportedly considering a proposal to rename the future aircraft carrier USS Doris Miller, with President Donald Trump's name among the alternatives under discussion. The ship, a Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier currently designated as CVN-81, was officially named in 2020 to honor a Black American sailor who received the Navy Cross for his actions during the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. No formal decision to change the name has been announced.
The carrier was named during a January 2020 ceremony at Pearl Harbor by then-Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly. At the time, Modly stated that the name was chosen to recognize the contributions of all enlisted ranks across different backgrounds and races. The USS Doris Miller was the first U.S. aircraft carrier to be named for a Black American and the first named in honor of an enlisted sailor's service actions.
Anonymous sources told CNN that internal discussions regarding a name change have been ongoing for several months. During this period, the ship has increasingly been referred to by its hull number, CVN-81, within the Navy. Members of Doris Miller’s family stated they were not notified in advance that the removal of his name was being weighed. The Navy’s Office of Information said it had no information to share regarding the reports.
For the Navy and the families of service members, the naming of a Ford-class carrier—a multibillion-dollar vessel that serves as a centerpiece of U.S. power projection—carries significant symbolic weight. The original 2020 naming was intended to signal a shift in Navy tradition toward recognizing the enlisted ranks and the diverse backgrounds of service members. If the name is replaced by that of a former president, it would return the vessel to the more common tradition of naming carriers after U.S. presidents and high-ranking political figures.
The concrete impact of such a change would be reflected in the official commissioning and historical records of the U.S. fleet. Currently, official Navy historical records still identify CVN-81 as the future USS Doris Miller. While the specific timeline for a final decision or the cost of changing internal branding and documentation has not been reported, any shift would likely occur before the ship is completed and commissioned. The next steps depend on a formal announcement from the Navy or the administration, as the Navy’s Office of Information currently maintains a "no comment" stance.