VIRGINIA — The Trump administration is considering removing the name Doris Miller from a future Ford-class aircraft carrier. Donald Trump is a likely replacement name for the vessel currently under construction.

The ship is being built at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia and is scheduled to be ready by 2034. The potential renaming reverses a decision made in 2020 by acting Navy secretary Thomas Modly to honor Miller with the designation.

Doris Miller was the first African American to earn the Navy Cross. He received the decoration after the battle at Pearl Harbor in 1941, where he served as a messman, one of the few jobs open to African Americans in the Navy at the time.

In 2020, President Trump promoted the decision to name the carrier after Miller during a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event at the White House. At that time, he acknowledged the Navy's announcement regarding the ship's designation.

"Last month, the Navy announced that the next American aircraft carrier will bear the proud name of USS Doris Miller," Trump said during the 2020 event. "That's a big boat." He also remarked on the likelihood of receiving such a tribute himself, stating, "They won't give me that honor." He concluded his comments on the matter by saying, "That's pretty good."

Steve Deal, the former deputy to acting Navy secretary Thomas Modly, attended the ceremony at Pearl Harbor in 2020 when the name was announced. Deal was present alongside Doris Miller's family for the dedication proceedings.

Critics of the potential renaming have pointed to inconsistencies in how the administration selects names for military assets. One current U.S. aircraft carrier is named after former Mississippi Senator John Stennis, while eight of the 11 current U.S. aircraft carriers are named after presidents.

Two current U.S. aircraft carriers are named after congressional leaders. The presence of Stennis's name on a carrier has drawn comparisons to the treatment of Miller's legacy in recent administrative discussions.

Ty Seidule, a retired brigadier general and former professor at West Point, criticized the potential change. Seidule served as vice chair of a congressionally mandated committee which recommended stripping the Confederate legacy from U.S. bases and ships in 2023. "I just think it's really ironic that they want to take the name off the Dorie Miller, who was a sailor who died in combat who saved his fellow sailors and keep the name the John Stennis who was a segregationist who fought against the values that we cherish as Americans," Seidule said.

In 2025, the second Trump administration renamed bases for troops that shared the names of Confederates, sidestepping the mandate to strip Confederate legacies. This action occurred despite the earlier committee recommendations regarding historical figures associated with the Confederacy. Seidule identified a broader trend in how the administration approaches military nomenclature.

He suggested that recent decisions reflect a selective approach to honoring historical figures. "I see a pattern in the Trump administration, so I certainly think that Secretary Hegseth has ensured that we only name things after certain people and not everyone who makes up this great country," Seidule said.

The Trump administration is contemplating upgrading Doris Miller's Silver Star to the Medal of Honor. This consideration proceeds alongside the review of the aircraft carrier's name.

Why It Matters

The potential renaming of the USS Doris Miller intersects with ongoing debates over how the United States military honors its history. The carrier, planned as the fourth Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, represents a significant investment and a long-term symbol of naval power. The decision to potentially replace Miller's name with that of Donald Trump would alter the legacy of the first African American Navy Cross recipient on a major platform.

This development follows previous administrative actions regarding military base names and historical legacies. The contrast between honoring Miller, who died in combat, and retaining the name of Stennis, a segregationist senator, shows differing interpretations of which figures embody national values. The outcome will determine whether the vessel retains the name assigned in 2020 or adopts a new designation reflecting the current administration's priorities.

Timeline

On December 7, 1941, during the Pearl Harbor attack, Doris Miller moved the wounded captain of USS West Virginia to safety. On the same day, though untrained, Miller manned a gun and returned fire until ordered to leave during the Pearl Harbor attack. He earned the Navy Cross after the battle at Pearl Harbor in 1941. On November 24, 1943, Doris Miller was killed two years after the Pearl Harbor attack during an attack on his new Navy ship.

In 2020, acting Navy secretary Thomas Modly decided to name an aircraft carrier after Doris Miller. Steve Deal attended the ceremony at Pearl Harbor in 2020 when the name was announced, along with Doris Miller's family. On January 20, 2020, President Trump promoted the decision to name the carrier after Doris Miller during a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event at the White House in 2020. In 2023, Ty Seidule was vice chair of a congressionally mandated committee which recommended stripping the Confederate legacy from U.S. bases and ships in 2023.

What's New

Additional reporting indicates that USS Doris Miller (CVN-81) is planned to be the fourth Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. Records identify Doris Miller as a 2029 Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier.