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The Navy’s Next 2 Ford-Class Aircraft Carriers Have Some Controversial Names

Ford-Class Aircraft Carrier
The world's largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), steams in the Mediterranean Sea, Dec. 24, 2023. The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is currently operating in the Mediterranean Sea. The U.S. maintains forward-deployed, ready, and postured forces to deter aggression and support security and stability around the world. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jacob Mattingly)

Key Points and Summary: President Joe Biden has announced the naming of two Ford-class aircraft carriers as USS William Jefferson Clinton and USS George Walker Bush.

-While following the tradition of honoring Presidents, the choices have ignited debate.

-Critics cite controversies surrounding Clinton and Bush, including Clinton’s military relations and allegations of misconduct, and Bush’s leadership during the Iraq War.

-Additionally, the simultaneous commissioning of two ships named “George Bush” may create public confusion. Biden’s bipartisan naming approach faces opposition, particularly from Trump’s MAGA movement, with potential future name changes looming. The controversy highlights broader questions about naming ships after Presidents.

Biden Names New Ford-Class Aircraft Carriers: Why USS Clinton and USS Bush Raise Eyebrows

President Joe Biden has announced the names of the following two CVN-78 class aircraft carriers. To some surprise, the fifth ship of the “Ford” class will be the USS William Jefferson Clinton, and the sixth ship will be the USS George Walker Bush. 

While these names are more or less in accord with recent Navy practice on naming aircraft carriers, both are likely to spark controversy with the next administration

The CVN-78 aircraft carriers (also known as the Ford-class after the lead ship, USS Gerald R. Ford)  have continued the Navy’s eclectic approach to ship naming. The first, second, fifth, and sixth ships will now take the names of US Presidents. The third ship is named after Dorie Miller, a Medal of Honor-winning seaman who served at Pearl Harbor. The fourth ship will bear the name Enterprise, hallowed in honor of the service of USS Enterprise (CV-6) in World War II and USS Enterprise (CVN-65) in the Cold War, and made enduringly famous in the Star Trek universe. 

Broadly speaking, a convention has developed around honoring former presidents by naming aircraft carriers, with a few exceptions.

Primarily, when not systematically applied, they represent value judgments on the Navy’s and US political leadership’s sides. Few have argued, for example, that the Navy should attempt to honor President Richard Nixon, a man who resigned from office in disgrace after breaking the law to disrupt the 1972 election. 

Two other recent Presidents have been honored in a slightly modified fashion. Jimmy Carter was honored with a Seawolf-class nuclear attack submarine to reflect his service in the Navy, and a Zumwalt-class destroyer carries Lyndon Johnson’s name. 

However, the names Biden announced are controversial. Bill Clinton had complex relations with the uniformed military during his Presidency and has been accused of varying degrees of sexual harassment and sexual assault. George W. Bush is widely regarded as the primary political architect of the disastrous War on Terror, and in particular, the catastrophic invasion of Iraq. 

The awkwardness and confusion associated with having two ships in commission simultaneously named the “George Bush” (CVN-77 is named after George H.W. Bush) is worth noting. Naval professionals tend to use the numerical designation to distinguish between ships, but the general public (both at home and abroad) may confuse the two vessels. 

Biden has attempted to straddle the political problem by honoring a Democratic President and a Republican President. However, both Clinton and Bush are regarded with considerable hostility by President Trump and the MAGA political movement that he leads. 

U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) transits the Philippine Sea with six additional F-35C Lightning II aircraft assigned to the “Argonauts” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147, part of Carrier Air Wing FIVE, Dec. 13, 2024. VFA-147 operates from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command forces perform operations in and around critical sea passages and trade thoroughfares to deter threats that create regional instability and impinge on the free flow of goods, people, and ideas. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Pablo Chavez)

It would not be unusual at this early stage to change the names of the future vessels, and given Trump’s pugnacious nature, it would not be a surprise if he took the opportunity to fire another culture war salvo. President Trump’s election probably renders moot the effort to rename the two aircraft carriers named after segregationist American legislators. USS Carl Vinson and USS John C. Stennis continue in service with their original names despite protests from civil rights advocates. 

Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, has already called for a reversion of military base names to those of Confederate officers, indicating that the Trump administration will take this kind of issue seriously.

What of the three remaining modern Presidents?  

It will be some time before we discover whether President Obama, President Biden, and President Trump are honored with the names of capital ships. Given the partisan heat around Biden and Trump (the debate over Obama has cooled somewhat), naming the USS Trump or the USS Biden will be politically fraught for any future administration. 

A better question might be, “Isn’t it silly to name things after Presidents, and shouldn’t we go back to the old ways?” 

USS Nimitz Aircraft Carrier

The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) is underway during the Great Green Fleet demonstration portion of the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2012 exercise. Nimitz took on 200,000 gallons of biofuel in preparation for the Great Green Fleet demonstration during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2012. Twenty-two nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC exercise from June 29 to Aug. 3, in and around the Hawaiian Islands. The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2012 is the 23rd exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Eva-Marie Ramsaran/Released)

We can answer this in the affirmative; everything would be better if these ships were named Lexington, Saratoga, Yorktown, Hornet, Midway, and Coral Sea. 

Finally, it bears mention that the future of the aircraft carrier remains very much in doubt; even if Clinton and Bush keep their names throughout the construction process, they may find themselves in a much different security environment at their christening than at their conception. 

About the Author: Dr. Robert Farley

Dr. Robert Farley has taught security and diplomacy courses at the Patterson School since 2005. He received his BS from the University of Oregon in 1997, and his Ph. D. from the University of Washington in 2004. Dr. Farley is the author of Grounded: The Case for Abolishing the United States Air Force (University Press of Kentucky, 2014), the Battleship Book (Wildside, 2016), Patents for Power: Intellectual Property Law and the Diffusion of Military Technology (University of Chicago, 2020), and most recently Waging War with Gold: National Security and the Finance Domain Across the Ages (Lynne Rienner, 2023). He has contributed extensively to a number of journals and magazines, including the National Interest, the Diplomat: APAC, World Politics Review, and the American Prospect. Dr. Farley is also a founder and senior editor of Lawyers, Guns and Money.

Written By

Dr. Robert Farley has taught security and diplomacy courses at the Patterson School since 2005. He received his BS from the University of Oregon in 1997, and his Ph.D. from the University of Washington in 2004. Dr. Farley is the author of Grounded: The Case for Abolishing the United States Air Force (University Press of Kentucky, 2014), the Battleship Book (Wildside, 2016), and Patents for Power: Intellectual Property Law and the Diffusion of Military Technology (University of Chicago, 2020). He has contributed extensively to a number of journals and magazines, including the National Interest, the Diplomat: APAC, World Politics Review, and the American Prospect. Dr. Farley is also a founder and senior editor of Lawyers, Guns and Money.

4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. W. Roberton

    January 15, 2025 at 12:19 pm

    I agree that the CVNs should be named after famous battles. I prefer one word names, so Coral Sea would be changed to Wasp as my suggestion. These names invoke pride for all the sailors on board while carrying no political connotations.

  2. George L. Brown

    January 16, 2025 at 7:20 am

    Military hardware should be named in honor of battles, national heroes,States. Not political or immoral racist people.

  3. Clifford christiansen

    January 16, 2025 at 6:57 pm

    Be grateful he didn’t name hussein obama. And there are very more honorable people names he could have used and none are president’s or politicans.

  4. Steven Imrisek

    January 17, 2025 at 6:40 pm

    As a former fighting cock sailor I’m glad I retired decades ago
    The embarrassment of being on the invasive cigar would be hard to swallow
    No pun intended

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