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It really seems like the war in Iran is coming to a head politically for Republicans here at home, those in Congress, those in the United States Senate, who have been flooded with constituent calls, Republicans and Democrats alike saying, when is this going to end? It comes amid new reports showing that sailors on the USS Abraham Lincoln have been trying to jump overboard to avoid an extended stay in the Middle East. I have more exclusive text messages from those aboard showing the horrific conditions that our service members are experiencing right now. I've gotten a lot of pushback from those near the White House about this reporting. And our reporting has actually motivated members of Congress to demand an active investigation into what's happening on the Abraham Lincoln. But not just on the Lincoln, but on aircraft carriers generally in this war. And I've gotten a lot of pushback from folks near the White House saying, well, this is what they signed up for. Service members in war should not expect nice treatment. Well, here's the thing. There's a difference between expecting a five star accommodation aboard an aircraft carrier in the Middle east and expecting bare necessities. The service members that I've spoken to, the families of the service members I've spoken to say that their family members don't have access to adequate soap detergent. I mean, some service members say they have to walk from one end of the ship to the other end of the ship very long. I mean, it is not a small ship just to use the restroom, not working water fountains. I mean, you had rotten food. This is bare necessities. Any landlord would be fined up the wazoo if this is how they treated a tenant. These service members are going to war knowing that they're not going to get five star accommodations. But they do expect basic hygiene and basic necessities, which the military currently isn't providing. And to all those around the White House who may watch this and push back at me, just know I'm not gonna stop. I think it's important that we tell the stories of these service members. And my inbox has been flooded with messages from folks aboard the Abraham Lincoln, aboard the USS George W. Bush and other aircraft carriers exposing what is happening. And I wanna share it with you. Make sure to subscribe if you can, like, comment, share. The more you do, the more people see. And also, I feel like this story isn't getting enough traction. It took a while to get into the mainstream press and we got to keep pushing so that this just doesn't just die tomorrow. Because right now, Republican lawmakers are being flooded with constituent phone calls. West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito, who chairs the Senate Republican Policy Committee, says that her phone has not stopped ringing. Constituents are mostly fed up with how long the conflict has now dragged on. They're, quote, just wearing out on it. In addition, we've done this before where we've had elongated engagements. She went on. People don't want to see that. They don't want to see boots on the ground. They don't want to see our money going there. There is a fatigue factor for sure. Senator John Cornyn from Texas says that he wants the White House to spell out clearly what exactly it still thinks it's doing in the Middle East. I wish the President were more clear what his objectives are. He told Notice this on again, off again is creating confusion in people's minds. Well, it is creating significant confusion in people's minds, especially as service members are facing malnutrition and mistreatment of board. And these phone calls are only going to continue. But what is significant here is that they are hearing your phone calls. Oftentimes when you're told, well, just call your member of Congress, call your House member, call your Senate member. People are like, well, they're not going to listen. It's just going to be an intern who picks up the calls. Well, they are listening because they're being flooded with phone calls right now. And it's maybe because of this. I have more exclusive text messages from folks aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. I edited out the name for protection of their privacy, but I want to read you some of these. Quote, this is what one service members sent their family members in the past several days. I'm so tired of this BS Boat company keeps saying we doing blockade ops and this and that, and it's like, bro, we tired. If we hit an effing port, it wouldn't be bad. But we haven't been on land since Guam. At least Covid crews we got to step off the ship every few weeks. Everyone is just burnt out out. They gave us two days off in a beer day, but it's like we just want to leave the ship. The ship cannot handle it anymore. We have no workable toilets around us. Got to go all the way forward of the ship to use the toilet. No water fountains, have to walk all the way to the galley or ready room. And the food is undercooked chicken, undercooked chili beans. This is the worst. And to top it all off, we're not getting mail regularly. I've had to ask for deodorant from people because mine hasn't shown up or body wash, got a ration. I can't buy anything from the ship store because I don't got it no more. And not enough has been sent to the ship. This is the real life of what service members are experiencing. And what I fear with this story is that the American public are just going to get fatigued on it, like with usaid, like with firings of federal workers and more. We're already seeing a decline in the amount of people willing to share and talk about the treatment of service members abroad. And our reporting on this has prompted members of Congress to demand more from this White House. Senator Richard Blumenthal and other members of Congress have sent the following letter to Secretary Hexseth and the Navy Secretary Hung Kao saying, quote, I write to express serious concerns about the increasing increasing length of carrier strike group deployment and request information regarding the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln's extended deployment raises broader questions about the Navy's ability to sustainably generate carrier forces while preserving service member well being, maintenance schedule, fleet readiness, and the capacity to respond to future contingencies. Since departing from the Naval Base San Diego on November 21, 2025, the USS Abraham Lincoln has been deployed more than 250 days as of this writing. Despite initially being Scheduled for a seven month deployment deployment, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 3 has not made a port call in over 200 days, setting a record for consecutive days at sea. There has been widespread reports of basic shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns, and disruptions in the mail system which have caused many care packages en route to the ship to be lost in transit for months. These reports warrant immediate attention, but they also raise a broader question whether the Navy can sustain the operational tempo now being demanded of its carrier force, particularly as this administration repeatedly commits U.S. forces to conflicts of its own choosing and increasingly relies on aircraft carriers to sustain those operations. The Lincoln is not an isolated case. Recent carrier developments have repeatedly stretched beyond their original anticipated durations, suggesting that extended deployments may be be becoming a feature rather than an exception of the Navy's fourth generation model. The Gerald 4 spent 326 days at sea, nearly twice the length of a traditional six month carrier deployment and the longest since the Vietnam era. The Lincoln's prolonged deployment is essentially significant because it is occurring in the context of continuing military operations against Iran and the possibility that substantial US Naval forces will be required in the region for an extended period. The Administration has yet to adequately explain the objectives, end state or anticipated duration of these operations. If the administration intends to maintain a prolonged military campaign or an elevated carrier presence in the region, it must explain how it intends to ensure today's operational requirements do not create tomorrow's readiness crisis. And so these letters are only being written because of our reporting, and yet we are not stopping. We're not stopping now. It is urgent for these service members. And while your members of Congress, Republicans, Democrats alike, they are hearing you. They are hearing you as right now. It really does see, it really does show that in a way, this may be the straw that breaks the camel's back for a lot of folks. I'll have more updates for you soon. Make sure to subscribe support. See you soon.