Military recruitment has surged under the Trump administration and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s leadership, with service branches exceeding their goals.
The Army has gained 23,586 active components for the fiscal year 2025, which began in October 2024 and runs through February 2025, surpassing its goal by 115 percent. The Navy surpassed its goal by 105 percent, the Marine Corps by 106 percent, the Air Force by 100 percent, and the Space Force by 100.1 percent.
Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade asked, “I think warfighters are happy to have a warfighter up top. With all the controversy, have you ever doubted your decision to take this job?”
“Not for a minute. I have not hesitated,” Hegseth said. “The numbers are a reflection of why we are here—the Trump bump. The reality is, when warfighting and lethality are brought back, and what we’re doing is serious about getting after soldiers and warfighting, the American people want to come back in and sign up.”
“Recruiting numbers don’t surprise me. There is a yearning from the American public, from young people, to be proud of their country and military and to make sure when they serve, they are given everything they need. I fought for the budget the Defense Department requires, and the President said we’ll have the first trillion-dollar budget. My 14-year-old, if he joins, he’ll have a great military—peace through strength. I have not blinked, and I won’t blink, because this job is too big and too important for the American people, and I’m grateful.”
Hegseth has been the target of multiple reports in recent weeks over his usage of the encrypted messaging platform Signal. In the wake of The Atlantic editor-in-chief’s late March report that he was inadvertently added to a group chat alongside senior Trump administration officials where strikes against Houthi rebels were discussed, Hegseth said that “nobody was texting war plans” in the chat.
