Service members willing to protect this country deserve the utmost respect. They should never go hungry aboard an American ship or beg for answers from the government that sent them there.

Families of sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln warned for months that deplorable conditions and collapsing morale were pushing the crew to the breaking point. More than 5,000 sailors have spent months at sea, including a record stretch without a port call. Food and water shortages, broken plumbing, missing supplies, lost care packages, worsening mental health, and reports of sailors trying to jump overboard have defined the deployment.

The USS Benfold exposed another failure. After losing power for four days in the South China Sea, the destroyer had to be towed to the Philippines while about 300 sailors went without normal access to drinking water, hot meals, working toilets, or air conditioning. The Navy did not disclose the breakdown until weeks later.

Pete Hegseth dismissed the reports as “completely misrepresented,” even as his own account of the war unravels. He claimed Iran’s military had been crippled and its defense-industrial base destroyed. Satellite reporting later showed Iranian strikes damaged far more U.S. bases and equipment than the government acknowledged.

Asked about the Lincoln’s prolonged deployment, Trump said it was “not nearly long enough.” He spent months suggesting peace was close, but there is no agreement in sight. Now he says he is “not in a hurry” to end the war, even as prices for everything from gas to groceries continue to soar.

Democratic leaders are demanding answers. Sen. Richard Blumenthal pressed Hegseth and Navy leadership on food, sanitation, medical care, mental health, and how long sailors will remain deployed. Sen. Ruben Gallego called for a bipartisan delegation to visit the Lincoln. House Democrats called for a classified briefing on living conditions and access to critical supplies.

Congressional Democrats have brought repeated War Powers resolutions to end Trump’s unauthorized war. The Idaho congressional delegation has opposed every single one. Mike Simpson, Russ Fulcher, Jim Risch, and Mike Crapo voted to let the war continue despite 18 American deaths, more than 750 wounded service members, and tens of billions in taxpayer costs. As chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Risch bears particular responsibility for looking the other way.

Voters are noticing. As reports spread about the shameful conditions service members are enduring, Trump’s approval has fallen below 50% in Idaho for the first time. Less than two years ago, he carried the state by 36 points.

Republican politicians in Idaho have refused to confront Trump over this war, even as service members and their families pay the price. This November, Idahoans can make sure that choice has consequences.

Onward,

Lauren Necochea
Idaho Democratic Party Chair