Updated
Updated · Snopes.com · Aug 21
Snopes Leaves CVN-81 Renaming Claim Unrated as Trump Order Dropped Doris Miller Name
Updated
Updated · Snopes.com · Aug 21

Snopes Leaves CVN-81 Renaming Claim Unrated as Trump Order Dropped Doris Miller Name

3 articles · Updated · Snopes.com · Aug 21

Summary

  • Snopes said it could not independently verify CNN's Aug. 20 report that the Trump administration discussed renaming aircraft carrier CVN-81, leaving the claim unrated despite its rapid spread online.
  • CNN cited three anonymous sources, while Snopes found the administration's Aug. 13 Navy shipbuilding order referred to the vessel only as CVN-81 and did not mention USS Doris Miller.
  • The Navy and Pentagon told Snopes they had no announcement to make, and the White House referred questions to the Defense Department.
  • CVN-81 was named in 2020 for Doris Miller, the first Black sailor awarded the Navy Cross for valor at Pearl Harbor; the carrier is scheduled for delivery in 2034.

Insights

Will stripping an enlisted WWII hero's name from a supercarrier permanently alter how the military honors its sailors?
How will the Navy's debate over reverting to steam catapults impact the 2034 delivery of the CVN-81 carrier?