'It's Funny You Got A Trump Bump While Biden Was President': Reed Spars With Banks Over Recruiting

Forbes Breaking News

During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) questioned Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth about recruiting numbers under the Biden and Trump administrations, and was pressed by Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI).

Transcript

00:00Political military. Secretary, wouldn't you say that in the last administration under Joe Biden,

00:08Secretary Austin, Mark Milley, we've never seen the military politicized in a way that it was

00:14over those four years? Senator, I would say our mission has been to take the politics out of the

00:20military, take the ideology out of the military. And as a result, you've seen the response of

00:26young Americans who have, I called it a bump at first. I just want to correct that, Senator. It's

00:30been a tsunami. It's been a historic response of young Americans. I want to unpack it. I want to

00:34unpack this with you, Mr. Secretary. Prior to President Trump's election, the military was

00:40struggling with the worst recruitment crisis in 50 years. That all seemed to have changed overnight

00:48on one specific day. And the chart shows it. The Army doubled its recruitment from November of 2024

00:58to the previous November. The Navy, the same thing. The Navy's recruitment skyrocketed 80 percent

01:05from November of 2024 to the previous year. Mr. Secretary, what changed?

01:13There was an election, Senator.

01:14Why does that matter?

01:19Because leadership matters, sir. Belief in your country matters. Having the back of your troops

01:26matters. Setting a clear mission matters. Ensuring that if troops are used, it's for a clear,

01:33defined mission. It's funding them properly. It's giving them the proper authorities to execute.

01:40Americans watch what happens with their political and military leadership. And in President Trump,

01:44they understand they have a commander in chief that has their back, that loves the country,

01:48that loves them. Our job has been to reflect that through the department by getting rid of all the

01:54distractions, by enforcing the basics, by getting back to standards and readiness. And as a result,

02:00we've seen a generation of young people stand up and say they want to serve under President Trump.

02:04These numbers have steadily increased. As you said, you call it a tsunami. I call it the Trump bump,

02:11because it did begin on one day. But every month since, we've seen those recruitments for the Army

02:19and the Navy, especially the best Navy recruitment in 20 years, the best Army recruitment in 15 years.

02:26How do we keep that up?

02:27Well, sir, I think we keep that up by staying true to what we said we would do to those young

02:33Americans and their families. I wrote a book before I started this process, talking to a lot of vets

02:38and their families who are wondering whether they would recommend military service to the next

02:42generation. I hear from them and others who say, now we're willing to do that under this

02:47President's leadership. Staying true to who we are, staying true to the basics, the Constitution,

02:52their core mission, keeping them ready, funding them and supplying them properly, and then having

02:57their back truly matters. And I think by doing that, and then emphasizing recruiting and the

03:02basics, I think we'll continue to be able to be on the right trajectory.

03:05Mr. Secretary, I've never seen a Secretary of Defense that's so in tune with our soldiers,

03:10our sailors, our airmen, and Marines as you. You've gone out and you're visiting with them,

03:15you're talking to them every single day. What kind of stories are you hearing,

03:18especially from our newest recruits? What are they telling you? What are they telling you

03:23specifically about why it matters? Well, I'll start with those that are

03:26re-enlisting or they've been in for a while who say it's all changed. The entire environment's

03:31changed. The realm, the spirit. They see the change. They feel the change. They feel the idea that if I'm

03:36given a job to do, I'll be given everything necessary to do it, the authorities to do it. I'm not

03:40being micromanaged. I know that my commander will have my back. And then the young people, it's just

03:44excitement about the possibility of serving under President Trump, of being a part of

03:48something greater than themselves, and knowing that in the White House, they've got a commander

03:54who will defend their interests. It's really about, as I said, as my colleague was talking

04:01about an apolitical military, the wokeness, the radical transgender movement, the abortion travel

04:09mandates, the way the last administration politicized the military. There was a survey in 2023 that pointed

04:15this out, and the Army released the survey in 2023 that claimed that young Americans' fear of

04:21discrimination drove away more recruits than wokeness. And wokeness was a big indicator, too,

04:30in that survey. Do you think those arguments still stand up today?

04:35Senator, you make a great point. Every American wants to be treated like an individual,

04:39not because they're black or white or male or female, rich or poor, or because of some calculation

04:46of what we need more of or need less of, but simply, can you rise to the challenge of this job,

04:52of service to your nation? That challenge inspires young people, and that's what we've seen.

04:56I think the Commander-in-Chief matters. Mr. Secretary, you matter. General, you matter. Thank you for your

05:02leadership. The facts speak for themselves. Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

05:06Thank you, Senator Banks. Is there objection to putting a representation of the chart in the record

05:14at this point? Without objection, it'll be ordered. Mr. May I ask a question, Mr. Chairman?

05:21Senator Reed. I know that the chart starts in November 23 and goes to November 24,

05:29and President Biden was president through the entire period. So, you're suggesting that the

05:37significant ramp up took place immediately after the election day, which would have been

05:4320 days of November 24? That's exactly what I'm suggesting, Senator. And the numbers speak for

05:49themselves. Do you have any data to suggest that? The general of the army told me so, and I'm happy to,

05:55if you ask for those numbers from the army, you'll see the same dynamic that I have. The election of

06:01Donald Trump serving as the, the, the, the election of him and the, the indication to those recruits

06:09around the country that he's going to become the Commander-in-Chief actually mattered. And those

06:13numbers have risen dramatically ever since election day. There was no impact of the administration's

06:22activities over several years before that, and also through the period of November 23, which was,

06:28uh, encompassed the Biden administration. Uh, I, it's funny you get a Trump bump while Biden is

06:37president of the United States. So, I'd be curious to see that date. I think, I think it's incredible

06:41as well, sir. Uh, unbelievable. Might be a better word.

Category

Transcript

Recommended