Unpacking claim USS Doris Miller will be renamed after Trump instead of Black WWII hero

A CNN report described the Trump administration's intentions to retitle a Navy vessel previously named in honor of Pearl Harbor hero Doris Miller. Published Aug. 21, 2026 The claim that U.S. President Donald Trump's administration intended to rename a U.S. Navy vessel that was originally named after Black World War II hero Doris Miller circulated online in August 2026. The claim originated from reporting by CNN on Aug. 20 that relied on three anonymous sources "familiar with internal discussions" of the Navy. The ship was originally announced as the USS Doris Miller in 2020, during Trump's first term. Snopes has been unable to independently verify CNN's reporting, but it appeared in 2026 the Trump administration referred to the ship only by its identification number, CVN-81, rather than the USS Doris Miller. Snopes will update this report if additional information surfaces. We reached out to the reporters behind the story for further information on their sources. The Department of Defense and Navy both told Snopes via email that they had nothing to announce as of this writing. Rumors that U.S. President Donald Trump's administration intended to rename a U.S. Navy vessel that was originally named after a Black World War II hero circulated online in August 2026. People on social media, particularly Facebook, shared posts about a sailor named Doris Miller who was set to be honored by having a new aircraft carrier named after him until Navy officials allegedly decided to name it after Trump instead. The widespread nature of the rumor online led to an influx of emails from Snopes readers looking for the truth behind the claim. The claim originated from reporting by CNN on Aug. 20 that relied on three anonymous sources "familiar with internal discussions" of the Navy. Snopes was unable to independently verify CNN's reporting and therefore has left this claim unrated. We reached out to the reporters behind the story for further information about their sources and will update this article if we receive a response. A Navy official told Snopes via email, "The Navy has no announcement to share at this time." The White House press office referred us to the Department of Defense, where an official also said they had nothing to announce at this time. According to CNN, two of the sources cited "internal conversations about renaming" the planned aircraft carrier to "honor Trump." CNN's article said one of the sources also claimed the Navy would name a different ship after Miller instead, as well as recommend him for the Medal of Honor. Ultimately, CNN reported, "final authorization for the award is up to Congress and approval from Trump." It appeared the Trump administration had stopped referring to the vessel as the USS Doris Miller internally, despite the first Trump administration originally announcing it. In an executive order titled "Rebuilding the United States Navy and America's Shipbuilding Industrial Base," signed by Trump on Aug. 13, 2026, the text referred to the vessel by its official identification number, CVN-81, and made no mention of Miller. The CNN report was quickly picked up by other media outlets including USA Today, NBC News, Newsweek and Forbes, which led to the claim's rapid spread on social media. History of the USS Doris Miller In January 2020, the Navy revealed plans to name a new aircraft carrier after Miller, the first Black sailor to receive the Navy Cross for valor. The Department of Veterans Affairs described Miller's heroic actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor, which marked the beginning of the United States' involvement in World War II: In January 1940, he was assigned to the battleship USS West Virginia (BB 48), stationed at Pearl Harbor. Severe damage to the ship during the early phases of the December 7th attack prevented Miller from manning his assigned battle station. Seeking to help where he could, he was ordered to the ship's bridge to help move his captain, Mervyn Bennion, mortally wounded with shrapnel in his abdomen. Doris Miller was then ordered to the port side anti-aircraft guns to load ammunition for an officer. After performing this task, Miller, on his own initiative, loaded and manned an unattended gun and fired at incoming Japanese planes. Although untrained, he laid down effective fire and stopped firing when he ran out of ammunition and the ship began to sink. Even then, he persisted in helping his fellow sailors to safety until he finally made his way to shore. Miller, himself, escaped injury and was reassigned to the cruiser Indianapolis (CA 35). Miller received the Navy Cross on May 27, 1942, in a ceremony at Pearl Harbor, photographs of which can be viewed on the image repository Getty Images. According to Miller's transcript of service, he was promoted to cook, third class in June 1943, and later reported for duty aboard an escort carrier called the USS Liscome Bay in August 1943. On Nov. 24, 1943, the USS Liscome Bay was sunk by enemy torpedoes. The transcript of service said Miller was presumed dead a year and a day after being reported as missing in action, on Nov. 25, 1944. In July 1973, the Navy named a newly commissioned destroyer escort ship the USS Miller in his honor. The Detroit Free Press wrote at the time that the Navy was "embarked on a multimillion-dollar program to reduce racial strife among sailors" and that the USS Miller was the third Navy vessel to bear the name of a fallen Black soldier, with the other two named for officers. The USS Miller was decommissioned in 1991. In January 2020, the Navy announced a new aircraft carrier set to be delivered in 2034 would be named the USS Doris Miller. On Aug. 25, 2021, Huntington Ingalls Industries — the contractor who won the bid to build the ship in question — held a ceremony at its manufacturing facility in Virginia for the "ceremonial first cut of steel" at the start of construction. According to a news release issued by the company, family members of Miller were present and signed their names onto the steel plate alongside shipbuilders, Navy leaders and elected officials. In a statement provided through the news release, Miller's great-nephew Thomas Bledsoe said, "The Miller family cannot express in words what this means to us, to Americans and to anyone inspired by Doris Miller's story." Sources "A Military 1St: A Supercarrier Is Named After An African American Sailor." Npr.Org, 29 Sept. 2020, https://www.npr.org/2020/09/29/917816651/a-military-first-a-supercarrier-is-named-after-an-african-american-sailor. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.Britzky, Haley, and Pamela Brown. "Exclusive: Navy Weighs Renaming Carrier Slated to Honor Black War Hero, Potentially Switching It to Trump." CNN, 20 Aug. 2026, https://edition.cnn.com/2026/08/20/politics/navy-weighs-renaming-carrier-black-war-hero-to-trump. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.Cole, William. "Navy to Name Aircraft Carrier for Pearl Harbor Hero Doris Miller." Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 17 Jan. 2020, https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/01/17/hawaii-news/navy-to-name-aircraft-carrier-for-pearl-harbor-hero-doris-miller/. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.Department of Veterans Affairs (jdt. "Doris Miller – Above and Beyond the Call of Duty." VA History, 15 Nov. 2021, https://department.va.gov/history/doris-miller/. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026."Doris Miller: US Navy Aircraft Carrier to Honour Black Sailor." BBC News, 19 Jan. 2020, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51168798. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.Gibbs, Alice. "Who Is Doris Miller? US Aircraft Carrier Could Be Renamed After Trump." Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2026, https://www.newsweek.com/who-is-doris-miller-aircraft-carrier-could-be-renamed-after-donald-trump-12351168. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.HII. "MULTIMEDIA RELEASE — HUNTINGTON INGALLS INDUSTRIES CELEBRATES CEREMONIAL FIRST CUT of STEEL for the AIRCRAFT CARRIER DORIS MILLER (CVN 81)." Hii.Com, HII, 25 Aug. 2021, https://www.hii.com/news/doris-miller-first-cut-steel. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.Kube, Courtney, and Mosheh Gains. "Navy Discusses Renaming Aircraft Carrier After Trump Instead of Heroic Black Sailor." NBC News, 21 Aug. 2026, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/navy-discusses-renaming-aircraft-carrier-trump-black-uss-doris-miller-rcna593667. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.Loria, Michael. "Navy May Name New Aircraft Carrier After Trump and Not WWII Hero." USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/08/20/navy-trump-aircraft-carrier-doris-miller-rename/91396754007/. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026."Miller (DE/FF-1091)." Navy.Mil, 2025, https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/m/miller-de-ff-1091-i.html. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.Naval News Staff. "HII Celebrates First Steel Cut for Aircraft Carrier Doris Miller (CVN 81)." Naval News, 26 Aug. 2021, https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/08/hii-celebrates-first-steel-cut-for-aircraft-carrier-doris-miller-cvn-81/. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.Ray, Siladitya. "Navy in Talks to Rename Ship After Trump Instead of WWII Hero, Reports Say." Forbes, 21 Aug. 2026, https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/08/21/navy-reportedly-in-talks-to-name-new-ship-after-trump-instead-of-black-wwii-hero/. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026."Rebuilding the United States Navy and America's Shipbuilding Industrial Base." The White House, 13 Aug. 2026, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/08/rebuilding-the-united-states-navy-and-americas-shipbuilding-industrial-base/. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. "Doris Miller | Biography, Facts, & Role at Pearl Harbor." Encyclopædia Britannica, 20 Nov. 2018, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Doris-Miller. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026."The Unforeseen Legacy of Doris Miller." National Museum of the Pacific War, 26 Oct. 2023, https://www.pacificwarmuseum.org/learn/articles/the-unforeseen-legacy-of-doris-miller. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.Archive.Org, 2026, https://web.archive.org/web/20170505224355/https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/diversity/african-americans/miller/transcript-of-service.html. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026. By Joey Esposito Joey Esposito has written for a variety of entertainment publications. He's into music, video games ... and birds. Article Tags