During the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, an enlisted sailor named Doris Miller, a mess attendant, staffed an anti-aircraft gun. He hadn’t been trained on the weapon, but he did it anyway, and he was credited with shooting down at least one Japanese plane. During the crisis, Miller also dragged wounded U.S. sailors to safety before dying two years later in an attack during World War II.

With his heroic and highly decorated service in mind, the Navy planned to name a new aircraft carrier, which is still being built, the USS Doris Miller. This would be the first time the U.S. Armed Forces named an aircraft carrier after a Black person.

At least, that was the plan. CNN reported:

The US Navy is working to rename an aircraft carrier under construction that was set to honor a Black sailor hailed for his heroic actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor, three sources familiar with internal discussions told CNN. […]

It’s unclear what the Navy is seeking to change the name of the carrier to, though two of the sources said there have been internal conversations about renaming it to honor Trump. It would be an unprecedented move to name an aircraft carrier after a sitting president.

Though CNN’s report has not been independently verified by MS NOW, NBC News had a similar report, noting that Navy leaders are discussing renaming the carrier to honor Trump rather than Miller. (The Navy directed questions from CNN to the Office of the Secretary of Defense. A Department of Defense spokesperson said they had nothing to announce at this time.)

It comes against a backdrop in which the Navy is exploring changes to ship designs in order to accommodate Trump’s aesthetic preferences, and the incumbent president is directing the Navy to replace its systems for launching jet fighters from aircraft carriers, swapping out electromagnetic catapult systems for steam catapults — a change Navy officials do not want to make.

The fact that at least some military officials decided to leak this news suggests there are some in the Navy who are not impressed with the renaming of the USS Doris Miller, and it’s possible that the coverage itself will affect the plans.

But if these plans proceed, and the military does honor Trump by renaming an aircraft carrier after him, it would extend an already ridiculous pattern of glorification for the failing and unpopular president.

U.S. currency: Trump recently announced plans to add his signature to U.S. dollars — a first for a sitting American president — which is not to be confused with plans for a massive 3-inch commemorative gold coin that features his face.

Renaming buildings: The president’s allies tried to add Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center and successfully added his name to the Institute of Peace. By some accounts, the president expects the proposed White House ballroom to bear his name too.

U.S. military: Plans to construct “Trump class” battleships are underway, and the nation’s next-generation fighter jet is set to have an “F-47” designation in honor of him. (Trump is the nation’s 47th president.)

Passports: The State Department is printing 40,000 commemorative Trump-branded passports that became available last week.

Training and standards: Training for incoming Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers was reduced from 50 days to 47 days in honor of Trump. (The accelerated training schedule was later tweaked.)

The airport in Florida: In April, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill to rename Palm Beach International Airport after Trump. (The president wanted to change the name of Dulles International Airport, just outside Washington, D.C., to honor himself, and he was even prepared to execute an extortion scheme with Democratic officials to get his way. He had to settle for a much smaller airport.)

Banners: Giant fascistic banners featuring Trump’s face are currently covering the front of several government buildings, including the headquarters of the Labor, Agriculture and Justice departments. They were followed by the administration unveiling different banners around the nation’s capital that show the president in a hard hat alongside text that reads, “Thank you, President Trump.”

Accouterments: The administration has launched “Trump Gold Cards,” “Trump Accounts,” “TrumpRx” and TrumpIRA.gov, while the National Park Service added Trump’s face to its park passes. The White House is also moving forward with plans to feature 47 trees in Lafayette Square, the park across the street from the White House. Officials in Tennessee also recently named a bridge after the president.

Domestic ambitions: Trump wants a new football stadium in Washington named after him, as well as New York City’s Penn Station.

International ambitions: Trump indicated that he wants and expects a statue to honor him in Venezuela. The Republican also said in January that it was “not too late” to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico (which he attempted to rename once already) to the “Gulf of Trump,” and he has suggested the Strait of Hormuz should also be called the “Strait of Trump.”

Don Colossus: The president has extended his enthusiastic blessing to a 22-foot golden statue of himself, which has been given a prominent home at one of his golf clubs.

This post updates our related earlier coverage.

The post Navy discusses renaming aircraft carrier after Trump, instead of Black war hero appeared first on MS NOW.

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