Hegseth Speaks After 15-Year Recruiting Drought Is Lifted: Youth Want ‘America First’ Leadership

President Donald Trump’s second term continues to pay dividends.

On Tuesday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth posted exciting news regarding U.S. Army recruiting numbers to the social media platform X, stating that the Army had its best recruiting numbers in 12 years in December.

He attributed the sudden uptick to Trump’s presidency.

BREAKING: In December 2024, the @USArmy had its best recruiting number in 12 years.

In January 2025, the Army hit its best recruiting number in 15 YEARS.

BOTTOM LINE: America’s youth want to serve under the bold & strong “America First” leadership of @realDonaldTrump.

— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) February 4, 2025

Hegseth noted another record for January while tagging Trump as the reason: “In January 2025, the Army hit its best recruiting number in 15 YEARS.”

“BOTTOM LINE: America’s youth want to serve under the bold & strong ‘America First’ leadership of @realDonaldTrump,” he wrote.

Fox News reported on those numbers Tuesday, saying 350 enlistments happened per day in December.

Although Fox cited the U.S. Army in stating this was a 15-year high in December, one thing is clear: There’s new enthusiasm for service under Trump.

Among Trump’s tidal wave of executive orders issued upon taking office, he signed one on Jan. 27 that will surely encourage similar numbers for the rest of his term.

That day, an executive order was signed to, “restore merit and lethality to America’s fighting force.”

“The Executive Order bans the use of discriminatory race- or sex-based preferences by any element of the Armed Forces, the Department of Defense, or the Department of Homeland Security,” a fact sheet on the order read.

It further stated that after former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden had politicized the military with diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, saying, “[T]hese two administrations exploited the military in favor of identity politics — harming our national defense, undermining the non-political nature of our military, and eroding morale and recruitment.

“Due to this ‘woke’ assault, the Services together logged their lowest recruiting records since 1940 with a 41,000-troop shortfall in 2023,” it continued.

Hegseth boasted on X about December’s numbers as just the anticipation of Trump’s return created change.

Now that executive orders — including one that restores service members terminated for refusing a COVID-19 vaccine with backpay — are official, potential enlistees can be even more confident.

The American people owe a debt to our armed forces for keeping us safe. Providing for the security of the country has nothing to do with one’s preferred pronouns or race.

America’s enemies do not care how diverse or inclusive we are.

Trump’s presidency inspires recruitment as soldiers know they won’t have to go through leftist indoctrination.

Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.