Navy Reportedly In Talks To Name New Ship After Trump Instead Of Black WWII Hero

BreakingBusinessNavy Reportedly In Talks To Name New Ship After Trump Instead Of Black WWII HeroBySiladitya Ray,Forbes Staff. Siladitya Ray is a New Delhi-based Forbes news team reporter.Follow AuthorAug 21, 2026, 07:30am EDTToplineU.S. Navy officials are considering naming an under-construction aircraft carrier after President Donald Trump, according to two reports, in a move that would undo plans to name the vessel after World War 2 hero Doris Miller—the first Black sailor to be awarded the Navy Cross.Doris Miller was the first African American service member to be awarded the Navy Cross medal. HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesKey FactsThe plans were first reported by CNN, citing three unnamed sources familiar with the talks, which said discussions are ongoing to change the name of the USS Doris Miller.The report noted that there have been “internal conversations” after naming the Ford-class aircraft carrier after Trump instead—which would be unprecedented for a sitting president.The decision to name the under-construction carrier after Miller was announced during Trump’s first term, but CNN reported that the Navy is now looking to rename another ship after Miller—although it's unclear if it will be another aircraft carrier or a smaller ship.NBC News corroborated CNN’s report and noted that talks on the name change have been ongoing for several months.The Navy is reportedly planning to recommend Miller’s name for the Medal of Honor—the country’s highest military decoration for acts of valor—although the final award would need to be approved by Congress. if (!window.cnxel) { window.cnxel = {}; window.cnxel.cmd = []; var iframe = document.createElement('iframe'); iframe.style.display = 'none'; iframe.onload = function() { var iframeDoc = iframe.contentWindow.document; var script = iframeDoc.createElement('script'); script.src = '//cd.elements.video/player.js?cid=62cec241-7d09-4462-afc2-f72f8d8ef40a'; script.setAttribute('defer', '1'); script.se...