FACT CHECK: Video Claims To Show USS Dwight D. Eisenhower With Scorch Marks

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter

A video shared on X claims to show the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower with scorch marks in Norfolk, Virginia.

Verdict: False

The image appears to be from April 2023. It has been photoshopped to include scorch marks.

Fact Check:

Houthi rebels claimed to have targeted the Eisenhower a second time on June 1, according to Reuters. The rebels also claimed to have targeted an American destroyer and three other vessels, the outlet reported.

Social media users are claiming to show the Eisenhower with scorch marks as it was moored in Norfolk. One user wrote,”#ايزنهاور impaled.. #Eisenhower He is God.”

This claim is false. Check Your Fact reviewed Google Earth’s archive of satellite imagery and found that the image appears to match an image taken on April 2023. It appears that the image has been photoshopped to include scorch marks near the carrier’s number (69) near the bow of the ship. The scorch marks appear to be from this Shutterstock image.

Furthermore, Captain Chris “Chowdah” Hill, the commanding officer of the Eisenhower, shared a video of the Eisenhower on June 3. The video shows the carrier without any visible damage.


A Department of Defense spokesperson previously told Check Your Fact that the claim that the Eisenhower was targeted on June 1 and that a destroyer was false. The May 31 claim from the Houthis was also refuted by a Pentagon spokesperson, saying to Check Your Fact at the time that “nothing happened to the Ike.”

There is no evidence that the Eisenhower is in Norfolk, Virginia. The Associated Press reported that the Eisenhower strike group would remain in the Red Sea throughout the summer. (RELATED: Was The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Struck by Houthi Rebels?)

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
Follow Elias on Twitter Have a fact check suggestion? Send ideas to elias@checkyourfact.com.

Trending