Sen. Mark Kelly calls conditions aboard USS Lincoln ‘unacceptable,’ seeks visit to carrier

Sailors losing weight, mental health crises and a crew member jumping overboard.

Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly says conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln are “out of the ordinary” and the Trump administration is dismissing them.

“I think the thing that bothers me most about this is you have a crew member jumping overboard because of how challenging it’s been, mental health issues, issues with food, meeting the basic needs of service members, and the response that we get from the Secretary of Defense and the President is unacceptable,” Kelly exclusively told KTAR News 92.3 FM.

The Democrat, a retired Navy captain, said he has asked questions of the Defense Department and requested a visit to the Lincoln, adding he is looking into going out to the carrier himself.

Families describe weight loss, shortages

Kelly said he is hearing firsthand accounts from military families looking for help.

“I spoke to a grandmother of one of the sailors aboard (the USS) Lincoln,” Kelly said. “What I heard from this grandmother is that her grandson, who, when he enlisted in the Navy, was rather a skinny kid, and she says the latest picture she saw of him looked like he’d lost 20 to 25 pounds.”

‘This seems to be different to me’

Asked what he would say to those who view the reports as sailors and Marines simply complaining, Kelly pointed to his own 25 years in the Navy, including 299 landings aboard the USS Midway, two and a half years of qualified sea duty and a deployment that stretched past seven months.

“It’s not easy. I don’t want to paint a picture. Being on an aircraft carrier is not going on vacation,” Kelly said. “This seems to be different to me. And hearing from these parents and the challenges that some of these sailors and Marines are facing are out of the ordinary.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has claimed the department has “done everything we possibly can,” while President Donald Trump has said the record-long deployment “isn’t long enough.”

“Leaders are supposed to look out for the people they are leading, not dismiss problems as if they don’t exist,” Kelly said. “At a minimum, just say you’re going to have an investigation and look into it and see if we can improve some of the conditions. What I saw Pete Hegseth say was completely unacceptable, which doesn’t surprise me because in my view, the guy’s unqualified for this job.”

Mark Kelly warns USS George Washington could inherit Lincoln’s woes

The Lincoln is on its way back and is set to be relieved by the USS George Washington.

Kelly, who sits on the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services committees, disputed the administration’s justification for the conflict.

“The Iranians were not racing to get a nuclear weapon,” Kelly said. “So the president got into this without a strategic goal, without a plan, without a timeline, and without a way to get out of it. And now he finds himself stuck.”

Eighteen U.S. service members have died, according to Department of War numbers.

Asked what Trump has done well in the war, Kelly answered: “Nothing … I mean, he’s botched this thing from the very beginning.”

Iowa trip fuels 2028 presidential run talk. Mark Kelly is not denying it

Fresh from a weekend swing through Iowa, where presidential campaigns traditionally begin, Kelly also confirmed he is weighing a 2028 run for president and that he and his wife, former Rep. Gabby Giffords, are discussing a potential campaign.

“I’m thinking about it,” Kelly said. “Gabby and I talk about it, but I have not made a decision.”

The former NASA astronaut, whose travels also took him to Kansas, Georgia and Missouri, insisted the trip, including a stop at the Iowa State Fair, was aimed at helping Democratic Senate candidates ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Kelly said Giffords would need to back a run.

“Well, she would have to be supportive. And she is. I mean, she understands the stakes here for this country,” Kelly said. “We gotta make sure we’ve got, whether it’s me or somebody else, somebody in the White House that puts the American people first.”

KTAR News 92.3 FM reporter Heidi Hommel contributed to this report.

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