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Sources: Navy Weighs Renaming Ship Set To Honor Black War Hero; Who Is Trump's Hyper-Loyal Aide Natalie Harp? Aired 11-11:30a ET
Aired August 21, 2026 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, he jumped into action to save the wounded and fired back at the enemy during the attack on Pearl Harbor. This morning, his family is speaking out after the Navy reportedly considers naming an aircraft carrier after President Trump instead of him.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And Mother Nature batters the Northeast right now, spawning rare tornadoes, flash flooding, and very dangerous winds. New details about where the wrath will be hitting next.
We want to welcome our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer with Pamela Brown, and you're in The Situation Room.
Happening now, three sources familiar with the internal discussions tell my co-anchor Pamela Brown that the U.S. Navy is working to rename an aircraft carrier that had been set to honor a black sailor hailed for his heroism in the Pearl Harbor attack.
BROWN: The Navy announced during President Trump's first term that the Ford-class carrier would be called the USS Doris Miller. Now, two of those sources tell my colleague, Haley Britzky, and me that there have been internal conversations about renaming it to honor the sitting President Donald Trump and what would be an unprecedented move. CNN's Haley Britzky joins us now. She helped break this story. Haley, explain what we learned and why the Navy is doing this.
HALEY BRITZKY, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, so we have learned that the Navy is looking at changing the name of the USS Doris Miller. It is a new aircraft carrier that has not been commissioned yet. It's not expected to be commissioned for quite some time, until roughly 2034. We don't exactly know why the Navy is taking this step yet. There's certainly a contingent of people in the Navy community, certainly, who believe that aircraft carriers should only be named after presidents.
But as you just mentioned, it's unprecedented to name a carrier after a sitting president. We obviously have seen several carriers named after Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, et cetera, but not a sitting U.S. president. So we've heard that the Navy is seeking instead to name a different warship after Doris Miller, who of course has been hailed for years and years over his heroism at Pearl Harbor, that they've submitted him to receive the Medal of Honor, which certainly is, you know, the highest military decoration for valor.
But the family said they had not been notified of this yet. There is still conversation about what this carrier will be named instead. But two sources have told us that they are talking about possibly naming it after President Trump.
BROWN: All right. And we're going to have one of his family members on a little bit later in this show. On a different subject, on a different carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, I embedded on that earlier this year, actually last month, it's making its journey home from this extended deployment during the Iran war. And that's prompting a lot of relief among family members and sailors. I'm in touch with a lot of them. Tell us more about that.
BRITZKY: Yes. So Abraham Lincoln making its way back to San Diego finally after this record-breaking deployment. Certainly, you know, Pam, from being there and talking to these sailors and family members, that there's been a lot of concern for those sailors on this deployment. They haven't had a port call. They've been on this ship for a record-breaking amount of days. There have been mental health concerns for these sailors.
So the USS George Washington taking over in the Middle East for the Abraham Lincoln. U.S. Central Command said earlier this week that it is in the area. It is already active in the region. So certainly those family members will be very excited to see their loved ones and welcome them home.
BROWN: Yes. And just, you know, it takes a while to get home, right?
BRITZKY: Yes.
BROWN: Multiple weeks.
BRITZKY: Yes. Yes. It'll still be a little while for them to reach it, but I'm sure they're counting down the days.
BROWN: Absolutely. Haley Britzky, thank you so much.
And with us now is a relative of the late Doris Miller, Salena James, is his great niece. First, I just want to get your reaction to this news of the Navy possibly renaming the ship after President Trump and then renaming another battleship after Doris Miller. What do you think?
SALENA JAMES, DORIS MILLER'S GREAT-NIECE: It was a little disappointing the way that we heard about it, but we're OK with it. Our main concern is receiving the Valor Congressional Medal of Honor for our Uncle Doris. That is what's most important to my family at this time. We thought that it was still nice that they were willing to name a different ship after my uncle, and we're OK with that.
[11:05:00] BROWN: Yes. I talked to a source who did say the Navy has signed off on him getting the Medal of Honor, the highest military honor, but that now it's up to Congress to authorize it and the President to accept it. So that is in the works. The U.S. -- first of all, you just said you're disappointed. How'd you find out? I just want to circle back to that. Tell us more about how you found out. You didn't hear about this from the Navy, right?
JAMES: I received a phone call on yesterday asking -- to speak with me regarding it. Up until that point, we hadn't been notified by the Navy or the shipyard at Newport News that there was possibility of a name change.
BROWN: Were you kind of expecting it, given all the changes that have been happening with the names of ships?
JAMES: I'm sorry?
BROWN: Were you sort of expecting it in a way? I just wonder, just given all the changes with the names of ships under this administration.
JAMES: There was back thought in my head about it, but we really didn't put a whole lot of energy into it. Like I said, receiving the medal was the most important to us.
BROWN: Yes. Well, the USS Doris Miller was set to be the first aircraft named for a black American and an enlisted sailor. What do you think the impact is of a reversing course on that decision?
JAMES: Well, I mean, as we've all seen around us, there's been lots of change. Lots of change. I'm really not for sure yet. What the driving force was, I thought it was a little odd, especially considering we attended the first cut of steel. Our names are written on that steel that's going into this aircraft, this carrier. And so it was, like I said, it was a little disappointment.
We were there for all the beginnings of this ship, to have it given and then taken away. And it was a nice bonus. It's a battle that my family has fought for generations to get my uncle the medal. And the torch has been passed to my generation. And my main focus is to just see my generation, see him get that medal, because I would hate for the torch to have to go down to another generation. And maybe we won't be around.
The biggest disappointment, his nieces, nephews, they're in their 70s, late 60s. And it would have been really nice for them to be able to see the fruit of their uncle's labor with such a symbolic item. And now, I mean, they may never, ever see it.
BROWN: Well, listen, he is a war hero. I'm surprised, frankly, he hasn't already received the Medal of Honor. I mean, just, he has such an incredible story. Before we dive a little bit deeper into his legacy, it does give you solace, it sounded like, that another, the Navy is planning to name another battleship after him. Is that right?
JAMES: Correct.
BROWN: So, I want to talk a little bit more about what he did. He was only 24 years old when he was killed in action in 1943 during the Battle of Makin. Just a couple of years after his heroic deeds. Tell us more about his legacy that he leaves behind, why your family has put forth all of this effort over these generations to get him the recognition he deserves, and what you think, how he'd react to all this coverage.
JAMES: I think that if my Uncle Doris were still around, he, like the rest of my family, they really don't care about the limelight. They just care about what's right. And that's just been something that has been generational after generational after generational. We, you know, just do what's right and everything else is going to come out the way that it should. And he gave himself so selflessly, and, you know, often I sit back and I look at my family from generation to generation to generation, and that's just something that has been instilled in us to do what's right.
We give of ourselves selflessly, and it's not all about us, it's about just doing what's right. And we're talking about someone that gave everything. When they took that ultimate step to join the military to help defend our country, he fulfilled that until his last breath. And so, if there was anyone else, the medal would not be an issue, they would already have their medal, why keep withholding it from my uncle?
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BROWN: Yes, just incredible and clearly so many of his attributes have carried on to you and your family. Salena James, thank you so much for reflecting on your uncle and just the sacrifice he made for this country. We appreciate it.
JAMES: Thank you.
BROWN: Wolf?
BLITZER: He was a real, real hero.
BROWN: Oh, absolutely. No question.
BLITZER: Yes, absolutely. For more on these developments and other developments as well, I want to bring in CNN military analyst, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton and CNN Global Affairs commentator Sabrina Singh. Colonel Leighton, let me start with you. What's your reaction to this decision by the U.S. military to change the name of this air craft carrier?
COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes, if that's true, Wolf, I think it's a very disappointing story because Doris Miller was not only a hero in terms of going after the Japanese fighter aircraft that came and attacked Pearl Harbor and his ship in particular, but he also was attempting to save the life of the captain of that vessel.
So, he not only did those actions, but he was basically one of those selfless, genuine heroes that you want to recognize. And they should receive, people like Doris Miller, should receive the kind of recognition that would be commensurate with their service. And that includes not only the Medal of Honor, but to have an aircraft carrier named after him, I think would be the best step because it recognizes not only the contribution of African-American sailors, but it also recognizes the contribution of the enlisted force. And that is significant.
BLITZER: He saved a lot of lives at Pearl Harbor.
LEIGHTON: He did. Absolutely.
BLITZER: Sabrina, I want to turn to another ship, the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, which has played such a critical role during the Iran war. How significant is it that this carrier is now making its way back home to the United States and being relieved by another vessel, the USS George Washington aircraft carrier, amid concerning reports about the crew's mental health and well-being?
SABRINA SINGH, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Well, it's certainly significant. I mean, the USS Abraham Lincoln that I know Pam Brown also embarked to and had spoken to many of those sailors and Marines on board, they were deployed since November and only had two port calls. So we know that they have been really tested and that they have been at sea for just an extended amount of time. So I think it is a great thing that they are coming home.
But this is also going to be a long journey home. I mean, it's going to take weeks to come back from the Middle East. It's a good also thing that we now have a new carrier coming in, the George Washington, to backfill the Lincoln. But that does leave us exposed in the Indo- Pacific, because the George Washington is coming from the Indo-Pacific from Japan, where it was originally stationed.
And now we don't have a carrier presence there, which is a messaging signal to China and North Korea that we just have less of a presence in the Indo-Pacific as our interests get pulled more into the Iran war.
BLITZER: Yes, good point. Colonel Leighton, President Trump has now threatened, as you know, a so-called economic D-Day against Iran, vowing, and I'm quoting him now, tremendous economic consequences against countries that continue to do business with Iran. Do you have a sense of what that entails? And would that include, for example, punishing countries that send medical supplies, food, other essentials to Iran?
LEIGHTON: Yes, if it does, it would certainly broaden the scope of the sanctions against Iran, because medical supplies had previously been exempt from those kinds of sanctions. One of the key things, I think, to think about here, Wolf, is that if the sanctions aren't coupled with methods to cut off supplies to Iran, such as the rail links that go into Turkmenistan, which then connect to the Russian rail system and the Chinese rail system, if those rail links aren't cut off, those sanctions may not have very much of an effect.
The Iranians are very much used to surviving sanctions, and they're very much used to being able to basically do without the kinds of things that the rest of the world really thinks about and really uses. So it's going to be critical, if they impose these sanctions, it's going to be critical to have some significant actions taken, both on the military front as well as the economic front, to be effective.
BLITZER: If the U.S. were to impose sanctions against countries, whether Russia, China, or other countries, that would now be refusing to send food or medical supplies, medical equipment to Iran, would that be considered a war crime?
[11:14:57]
LEIGHTON: Potentially, yes, because under the modern rules of warfare, you don't cut off food supplies for civilian populations. In the past, that was done in major conflicts like World War II. You had incidents where they did cut off food supplies. But in the modern way of doing warfare, that would be considered potentially a war crime, and it could also impact the way in which other countries respond to the U.S., because I think there would be a large international outcry against such a move.
BLITZER: Colonel Cedric Leighton and Sabrina Singh, to both of you, thank you very, very much.
BROWN: All right, still ahead here in The Situation Room.
BLITZER: Intimate letters reportedly reveal the very close connection between President Trump and one of his aides.
BROWN: And then later, rough rescue. How a pair of fishermen survived nearly a week stranded at sea. We'll be right back.
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BROWN: Well new this morning, we are getting a closer look at private communications between President Trump and one of his closest aides. And it is now raising questions about the potential impact on national security. "The Daily Beast" has published two full letters reportedly written by Trump staffer Natalie Harp in 2023. One reads in part, "You are all that matters to me." And, "I don't want to ever let you down." Now, CNN has not independently confirmed that Harp wrote or sent the letters to the President.
And when we asked the White House about it, a spokesperson told us, "Natalie Harp is one of the most loyal and hardest working aides on President Trump's team." But the letters are still sparking some new questions about the broader implications of their close bond. CNN senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes explains who Harp is and how she landed in Trump's orbit.
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NATALIE HARP, WHITE HOUSE APPOINTMENTS SECRETARY: I'm Natalie Harp, a formerly forgotten American from California. KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Forgotten no more. President Trump's executive assistant, 35-year-old Natalie Harp, has been thrust into the spotlight. After it was revealed she was one of a few aides that joined Trump on a secret flight out of Turkey. Harp is Trump's most devoted aide. She once jumped in the trunk of an SUV to ensure she would be able to be with the President for a court appearance when there weren't enough seats in the motorcade.
She serves as a gatekeeper to the President, providing him with a constant flow of articles and social media posts. She has earned the title of human printer because she travels with a printer wherever the President goes to ensure he has whatever he needs at his fingertips.
HARP: It goes faster if you plug it into the generator.
HOLMES (voice-over): And spends hours typing up his social media posts as he dictates them.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I will keep women safe.
HOLMES (voice-over): Her loyalty surpasses politics. She says the President saved her life when she was diagnosed with bone cancer, citing 2018 legislation.
TRUMP: And I was watching and I heard the story of an incredible, unbelievable young woman who was battling rare bone cancer.
HARP: As I like to say, I'm not dying from cancer anymore thanks to President Trump. I'm living with cancer.
TRUMP: Her name is Natalie Harp and she lit up the television screen like very few people I've ever seen do it.
HOLMES (voice-over): It was her television presence that led to the President inviting her to speak at the 2020 Republican Convention.
HARP: I wouldn't be alive today if it wasn't for you.
HOLMES (voice-over): Harp then worked briefly as an anchor on the ultra-conservative "One America News Network" where she amplified Trump's rhetoric on elections.
HARP: It's like, if President Trump, who's the most popular president really in history, the most loved president, if they can rig it against him, what makes you think that all of a sudden you're going to win in 2024 if you do nothing on election integrity?
HOLMES (voice-over): And bolstered his administration's work.
HARP: Just one year ago, the Democrats were the anti-vaxxers because they didn't want President Trump to get the credit for the medical miracle that was Operation Warp Speed.
HOLMES (voice-over): Before officially joining his team.
HARP: He was my first exposure to politics and I loved it. Like this guy, you know, he gets it.
HOLMES (voice-over): Harp can often be seen in the background during President Trump's events, smiling at the President and nodding along as he speaks, always in his corner.
HARP: You picked us up and you made us great again.
HOLMES (voice-over): Kristen Holmes, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: All right. Our thanks to Kristen Holmes for that reporting.
[11:23:46]
BLITZER: And still ahead, rearming felons. How the Trump administration is now making it easier for certain Americans to get their guns back.
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BLITZER: New this morning, a barrage of storms pounding the Mid- Atlantic and the Northeast. Take a look at this stunning video out of Long Island, New York. A massive water spout coming ashore on Thursday. The storm has brought at least two tornadoes to the region, along with intense rain and flash flooding. In parts of New York City, the rain poured into subways. And in Dover, Delaware, look at this. This video shows a tornado rip the roof from a motel.
And in Cape Charles, Virginia, a man died after being struck by lightning on a beach. That according to CNN affiliate WVC. CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar is in the CNN Weather Center for us. Allison, where is this storm system headed now?
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right. So we still do have some showers across portions of the Northeast, nothing like this at the moment, which is good news. Here you can see the tornado in the background. This was in Pennsylvania yesterday. It was one of several severe thunderstorm reports that we had throughout the day, two of which were tornadoes. But we also had damaging winds and even hail reports from yesterday and also a lot of flooding reports.
This one right here, you can see from Queens, New York, this road completely inundated with water, making it impassable for a lot of the cars that were to get through. Maybe folks just trying to get home for the day. Here's a look at what we had over the last 24 hours. Again, you can see a lot of these storm reports here kind of lining this map. Again, a variety of them, but the large, vast majority of them were damaging wind reports.
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Now overall across portions of the Northeast and the mid-Atlantic, we had about 2 to 4 inches of rain that fell.
