A fight has broken out over bad living conditions on US aircraft carriers in the Middle East, with the White House and Fox News calling the sailors' complaints fake or weak — bad news for troops stuck at sea and for anyone counting on US military readiness.

• The USS Lincoln has gone longer without a port stop than any carrier since World War II, with spoiled food, broken toilets, and shortages of basic hygiene supplies.
• Trump dismissed the reports as fake news, citing a retired admiral who said the ship is well maintained.
• Fox News veteran Joey Jones called the complaining sailors weak, comparing their situation to ground combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Resupply is failing because US bases in the region were destroyed, leaving ships thousands of miles from fresh food.
• A destroyer worth over $2 billion sat dead in the South China Sea for four days with no air conditioning, working toilets, or hot food.

Outlook: Expect more anger from sailors and their families as the Pentagon keeps denying problems, while questions grow about whether the US can still supply and sustain a long war far from home.