Top Defense Secretary Pick For Second Trump Administration Supports Expanding The National Service
Congressman Michael Waltz (R), has emerged as a front-runner for Defense Secretary in a second Trump administration.
- Meanwhile, Axios has reported that US Senator Tom Cotton (R)—another top pick for Defense Secretary—will not be joining the Trump administration.
Zooming in: Waltz has long pushed for a national service initiative since he became the first Green Beret elected to Congress in 2018.
- In a 2019 op-ed in the Washington Examiner titled “Time to make America serve again,” Waltz called for the creation of a “national service corps” to “renew our call to national service.”
- However, Waltz stopped short of calling for it to be mandatory or for the reimplementation of the draft.
- Instead Waltz called for the national service to be “greatly incentivize it through other channels, like hiring incentives, college credits, or a G.I. Bill equivalent.”
- Waltz has also promoted a national service initiative as an alternative way to address mass gun violence in order to incentivize young men to reintegrate into their communities.
Flashback: Waltz is not the only potential Defense Secretary pick who supports expanding the national service.
- Fellow former Green Beret Christopher Miller who served as Defense Secretary during the last few months of Trump’s first term has called for the return of the draft.
- However, Trump took to Truth Social to claim that he’s “never even thought” of instituting a national service requirement.
Zooming Out: Calls for a national service initiative come amid reports indicating not only a decline in military recruitment, but a decline in the potential recruits themselves.
- Three of America’s four major military branches failed to meet their recruitment goals in 2023, with the army failing to reach it’s recruitment goals for the past two years.
- Earlier this year Congress passed a law automating Selective Service registration, which would allow for the drafting of all men between 18-26 in the United States in the event of a military confict.
- However, a study from the Pentagon earlier this year revealed 77% of young Americans are unfit for military service without a waiver due to being overweight, using drugs, or having mental and physical health problems.
Why it matters: Trump’s victory in the 2024 Presidential election has led to concerns that a second Trump administration would further expand US involvement in the escalating conflict between Israel and the axis of resistance in the Middle East.
- Numerous Jewish billionaires finally decided to back Trump in May when the Biden administration attempted to appease progressives by temporarily pausing weapons shipments to Israel.
- Trump’s strong support for Israel during his first term has been highlighted as a key reason for their backing.
- This includes relocating the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights and parts of the West Bank, cutting aid to the Palestinians, withdrawing from the Iran nuclear agreement, and brokering the Abraham Accords.
