After President Donald Trump's 2024 victory, the United States military experienced a surge in recruitment, hitting record highs. Many factors are believed to have contributed to this uptick, including a renewed sense of patriotism and a desire among young Americans to serve under a leadership that prioritizes military strength and national security. Trump's appeal as a strong, assertive leader resonated with a new generation of recruits who felt a deep connection to his vision of America’s future. This prompted a significant boost in enlistment numbers nationwide.
Just a month after Trump won the election, the U.S. Army experienced its best recruiting month in 15 years, enlisting nearly 350 soldiers daily in December. By January 2025, the Army had already enlisted 30,000 new soldiers, nearly halfway to its annual goal of 61,000. To put that into perspective, in 2022, the Army fell 15,000 short of that enlistment goal. The following year, the military branch brought in slightly more than 50,000 recruits.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth posted on X that America's youth want to serve under Trump's bold, strong, America First leadership.
While the Biden administration prioritized diversity, inclusion, and political correctness in the military, Trump and Hegseth focused on revitalizing and reforming the Department of Defense with a stronger emphasis on military readiness. Under former President Joe Biden, race, gender, and political ideologies became central themes in military training. At the same time, Trump and Hegseth aim to restore the military’s core mission of defense and combat readiness.
Hegseth, who has pledged to make recruitment a top priority, tested the military’s readiness by participating in physical training with the nation’s troops. The Army's struggles have been attributed to Americans not qualifying for service, either failing to meet body fat or academic standards. Hegseth emphasized the importance of engaging with service members to understand their experiences, gather feedback on what is effective and not, and gain insight into how they perceive their mission and responsibilities. He values hands-on interaction better to comprehend the challenges and successes within the military.
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This starkly contrasts anything the Biden administration pursued, which historically saw the worst recruitment crisis since the Vietnam War.
Speaking to the National Review, a 17-year-old male said joining the military was easier to make with Trump in office.
“It did change my idea of going into the Army,” he said. “Knowing I was going to be under President Trump made me want to join more because of the type of leader that he is and what he’ll do to protect the country.”
