Fact-check · Nov 9, 2026 · Donald Trump
“Two years ago before I got into office, two years ago, we could not recruit people. The army was way beyond everybody. Now we have waiting lists of people trying to get in.”
MOSTLY TRUE
What the record shows
Army recruitment fell 30-40% short of goals in early FY2024; by FY2026 all services exceeded goals by 103% collectively, with ~11,000 recruits in delayed entry program. Improvement began before November 2024.
Claim accurately describes recruitment crisis two years ago and current strength, but improvement began under prior administration, not solely from speaker's policies.
Sources
- Why's the US military hitting its 2026 recruitment goals months ahead of schedule?
- The Military Branches Hit Their 2026 Recruiting Goals Months Early. Why That's Not Entirely Good News
- US Military Recruitment Numbers Over The Years
- FIRST ON FOX: US Coast Guard recruits largest class in nearly 40 years, beats goals for third straight year
- US Military Recruitment Shortage Crisis: Is Recruitment Up, Yet?
- Military Recruitment Crisis: Recruiting Numbers by Year, 2022–2026
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