The U.S. Navy is reportedly considering a plan to change the name of a Ford-class aircraft carrier that was previously designated to honor Doris Miller, a Black sailor who served during World War II. According to a report by CNN citing three people familiar with the matter, officials are weighing a proposal to name the vessel after President Donald Trump instead. If the change occurs, Miller’s name would reportedly be assigned to a different Navy ship.
The vessel, which is currently under construction, was designated as the USS Doris Miller during Donald Trump’s first term in office. Miller is recognized for his actions during the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, where he moved injured crew members to safety and operated a machine gun against enemy aircraft without prior formal weapons training. He was killed in action two years later.
Two sources stated that the possibility of naming the carrier after Trump has been discussed within the Pentagon. The report noted that no U.S. aircraft carrier has ever been named after a sitting president. Alongside the potential renaming, the Navy is said to be supporting an effort to posthumously award Miller the Medal of Honor, which would require authorization from Congress. Thomas Bledsoe, Miller’s great-nephew, told CNN the family had not been informed of the potential name change but called the Medal of Honor recommendation encouraging.
The decision occurs amid broader changes directed by the executive branch regarding carrier design and technology. This week, President Trump issued a national security memorandum directing the Navy to replace newer electromagnetic catapult systems with older steam-powered systems on its carriers. These technical shifts, combined with reports from The Hill that the Navy may alter future carrier designs to meet the president’s specifications, suggest a period of transition for the maritime service's long-term procurement and engineering plans.
A final decision on the name has not been announced, and the Navy has not yet provided public comment on the report. If the proposal moves forward, it would establish a new precedent for naming conventions of capital ships while the president is still in office. The timeline for when a name change would be finalized, or when Miller might be considered for the Medal of Honor by Congress, remains not reported. Further updates would likely follow official announcements from the Department of Defense or the White House.