Pete Hegseth dismisses reports of deteriorating conditions on USS Abraham Lincoln

Defense secretary said conditions on aircraft carrier deployed in support of Iran war have been completely misrepresented'

The US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, insisted a wave of reports describing deteriorating conditions and mental health struggles onboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln have been completely misrepresented", pushing back against growing congressional pressure over the ship's record-breaking, nearly nine-month deployment.

We make sure every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment," Hegseth told reporters during a visit to Panama, adding that some deployments are longer than others" and praising sailors enduring high seas" and austere conditions with less port calls".