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Army recruiting is up, but data show trend began before the election, current and former Army officials say

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Sen. Tom Cotton attributed increased Army recruiting numbers to “America First” leadership and “the Trump effect.” However, data indicates that recruiting numbers began to improve months before the U.S. Presidential election, according to current and former officials.

“You had some number of young men and women who didn’t want to join the army over the last four years under Joe Biden and Christine Wormuth, the former secretary of the Army, when they thought it was more focused on Wokeness and DEI and climate change,” Cotton told Fox’s America’s Newsroom. “That’s not why young men and women join our military. They do it because they love the country.”

The uptick in recruiting started months before the election on November 5.

“No, it did not all start in December,” former Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, who served until Jan. 20, said in an interview with Fox News.

ARMY RECRUITING SHATTERS RECORDS AFTER PRESIDENT TRUMP ELECTION WIN

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., praised President Donald Trump’s election for having a positive effect on Army recruitment, but the numbers tell a different story. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“Army’s recruiting started getting better much earlier. We really started seeing the numbers, the monthly numbers, go up in February of 2024. We were seeing sort of in the high 5000 contracts per month, and that accelerated, you know, into the spring all the way into August, when the Army really hit a peak.”

Starting in Oct. 2023, the Army put 1,200 more recruiters in the field. By Sept. 2024, before the election, the Army announced it had exceeded its recruiting goals.

The groundwork was laid that October when Wormuth and Gen Randy George, the Army chief, began a sweeping initiative to help those who did not meet academic standards or fitness requirements. The six-week pre-boot camp, called the Future Soldier Prep Course, helps lower-performing recruits meet enlistment standards. They also moved away from just recruiting in high schools to posting on job message boards. Recruiters got trained by Amazon, Wells Fargo and other industry leaders in talent acquisition. And the Army brought back the “Be All That You Can Be” branding campaign from the 1980s.

“We’ve been selecting soldiers who have personalities that are more suited to recruiting. We improved our marketing very dramatically in terms of being very data driven and very targeted. And then, of course, the future Soldier Prep course, which the Army established some time ago, has been a big success and has accounted last year for about 25% of the new recruits that came in,” Wormuth said. “If you look at our Army ads, we show young people, you know, jumping out of helicopters. We show kids doing, you know, night patrols in the jungle.”

DEMOCRATS PRESS ARMY SECRETARY NOMINEE IF ‘READINESS’ AFFECTED BY SOUTHERN BORDER DEPLOYMENTS

U.S. Soldiers of the 330th Movement Control Battalion stand in formation at Zagan, Poland, April 1, 2022. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Joseph Aleman)

Army data shows the Army has struggled with recruiting numbers since COVID, including a shortfall of 15,000 recruits in 2022.

It reported record-breaking recruitment in Dec. 2024, with nearly 350 recruits enlisting daily and the total number of active duty soldiers reaching 5877 recruits that month. Secretary Hegseth praised the recruiting numbers in a post on X:

“@USArmy: @USAREC had their most productive December in 15 years by enlisting 346 Soldiers daily into the World’s greatest #USArmy!

“Our Recruiters have one of the toughest jobs – inspiring the next generation of #Soldiers to serve.

“Congratulations and keep up the great work!”

But August of last year, three months prior to the election, saw a higher number of recruits than in December – 7,415 recruits compared to the 5,877 in December. And January 2025 still has not surpassed August 2024 for the highest monthly count of the past year.

In other words, the positive recruiting trend began before the election.

ARMY SEC NOMINEE QUESTIONS WHETHER MILITARY PILOTS SHOULD TRAIN NEAR DC AIRPORT

Miami Beach, Florida, Hyundai Air & Sea Show, Military Village vendor, Army soldier recruiter, goarmy.com, Warriors Wanted truck. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Image)

The increased recruiting numbers resulted from more women joining. Women made up 19% of the recruits last year, the highest rate to date.

“For example, right now, 16% of the overall Army is women. And so, having a year where almost 20% of the new recruits are women is a notable increase,” Wormuth said. “In 2024, we also had the highest ever recruiting year for Hispanics.”

There is a lag of about 10–12 weeks from the time a recruit enters a recruiting office and actually signs up due to medical exams and other paperwork.

“The biggest reasons young people are hesitant to join the Army is because of fear of death or injury, fear of leaving their families, a sense that maybe somehow, you know, joining the Army will put their lives on hold for a period of time,” Wormuth said. “Concerns about so-called wokeness are very low on the list of obstacles for most young people. And the last time the Army ran that survey, we didn’t really see a change. That remains to be a small concern.”

During its recruiting crisis, the Army had seen a drop in the number of families who typically send their children to serve, families whose members have served for generations. Many of those families tended to be white and from one of the 10 states that make up nearly half of the recruits: Texas (13.3%), California (10.5%), Florida (9.7%), Georgia (5.1%), North Carolina (4.6%), New York (4.3%), Virginia (2.9%), Ohio (2.8%), Illinois (2.6%) and Pennsylvania (2.4%).

There is no data suggesting a surge in white males joining the Army last year. In FY2024, 40% of the Army recruits were Caucasian, 25% were Black and 26% were Hispanic.

“From the data we saw, there was no discernible change in young white men joining the Army compared to the spring of 2024. The Army had about 7400 recruits in August, and in December it was about 5800,” Wormuth said.

The Army is also set to expand its basic training capacity in the spring.

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“U.S. Army Recruiting Command is on track to exceed the fiscal year 2025 recruitment goal of 61,000 new Soldiers and an additional 10,000 in the Delayed Entry Program,” Madison Bonzo, U.S. Army Recruiting Command spokeswoman, said in a statement. “As of today, USAREC has contracted 59% of the current FY25 goal. Our success couldn’t be possible without the hard work of our Recruiters, continued transformation of the recruiting enterprise and modernization initiatives to attract qualified talent into America’s most lethal fighting force.”

Wormuth said: “I would say we saw in the Army recruiting numbers, we started seeing us really get traction in February of 2024.”

“And we continued to build those numbers up to about, you know, high 5,000, 6,000 a month in August. And the Army has continued that momentum going into the end of the year. And I think the winds are at the Army’s back for coming into 2025,” she continued.

Former Army officials warn that it is dangerous to link Army recruiting successes to the election cycle, since the military is supposed to be apolitical. Soldiers sign up not to serve a president or a party but to serve the Constitution.

Jennifer Griffin currently serves as a national security correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC) and is based out of the Washington D.C. bureau. She joined the network in October 1999 as a Jerusalem-based correspondent.

February 7, 2025
O’Leary rips Costco for bucking DEI trend: ‘Bad for business’

‘The Big Money Show’ explores companies turning against DEI policies while Costco bucks the trend.

As more companies turn their backs and rescind DEI policies, Costco’s move to stand firm puzzled O’Leary Ventures Chairman Kevin O’Leary.

The “Shark Tank” investor declared Costco is “nuts” during Wednesday’s “The Big Money Show” for doubling down on DEI.

During his first week in office, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing the termination of discriminatory practices in the federal government and encouraged termination in the private sector. Following the order, attorneys general from 19 states urged Costco to turn away from its DEI policies.

STATE AGS WARN RETAIL GIANT COSTCO FOR DOUBLING DOWN ON ‘DISCRIMINATORY’ DEI

While big companies like Target, McDonald’s and Walmart backed off from their DEI policies, Costco shareholders voted last week to reject an anti-DEI proposal brought by activist shareholder group National Center for Public Policy Research. The measure would have required the wholesale grocery chain to issue a report on the risks associated with their DEI policies.

O’Leary, who is also a Costco shareholder, weighed in on the wholesaler’s resistance.

“They’re nuts if they think I want them fighting the federal government on policy.”

“I don’t care who took that poll when there’s no way you’d get that result today,” he continued. “You don’t fight the attorney general in multiple states, you got to be out of your mind.”

“Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary remarked how Costco fighting the government over DEI is “bad for business.” (Getty Images)

He also believes that it is “bad for business” and urged the retail company to find a resolution.

“Chop chop, guys. Figure this out,” O’Leary instructed. “You’re breaking the law. Get compliant. I mean, hire for merit and advance people that deserve it.”

“You will find every race, color, gender, everybody will come to the fore,” he added.

The businessman also commented on hiring practices, arguing that diversity can be achieved through a merit-based approach.

“[If] you just hire on merit as we do, you get tremendous diversity.”

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O’Leary expanded, arguing that it comes down to how capable a person is at doing their job.

“We don’t care if you’re gay or transvestite, or you have tattoos or fishhooks in your eyelids. We couldn’t give a damn. ‘Can you do the job, can you execute on the mandate?’ Those are the people we advance,” he stressed.

“If you can do it, I don’t care what planet you came from, you got a job, and that actually solves this whole problem.”

“We should have never got ourselves in this place,” O’Leary concluded.

READ MORE FROM FOX BUSINESS

RNC youth advisory council co-chair CJ Pearson reacts to President Donald Trump’s crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion on ‘The Evening Edit.’

Fox News Digital’s Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.

February 1, 2025
Israeli President Herzog highlights antisemitism in UN speech as new report shows shocking trend

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As the world marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp on Monday, the world’s oldest hatred is again on the rise.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog addressed the United Nations in honor of the solemn anniversary on Monday, saying the “moral beacon” of the U.N. had “been eroded time and again.”

Speaking to a packed General Assembly Hall, he asked, “How is it possible that international institutions, established as an anti-Nazi alliance, allow murderous antisemitic views to flourish unhindered, in the shadow of the greatest massacre of Jews since World War II? How is it possible that those institutions that were established in the wake of the greatest genocide in history – the Holocaust – distort the definition of ‘genocide’ in favor of one and only goal: attacking the State of Israel and the Jewish people; while embracing the despicable phenomenon of ‘reversing the Holocaust.’”

GLOBAL RISE IN ANTISEMITISM LEAVES JEWISH COMMUNITY ISOLATED, RABBI SAYS WORLD AT ‘A TIPPING POINT’

Israeli President Isaac Herzog speaks during the Holocaust memorial ceremony at the United Nations in New York on Jan. 27, 2025. (Lev Radin/Sipa USA/Sipa via AP Images)

Herzog added that “antisemitism, barbarism, cruelty, and racism” thrive at the U.N. because “too many of the nations represented here – do not confront them, do not unanimously condemn them, and do not fight against them.”

A recent report released by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) found in its latest Global 100 survey that 46% of the world’s 2.2 billion adults “harbor deeply entrenched antisemitic attitudes,” a number “more than double” what the ADL recorded through the survey in 2014.

The ADL survey reflects the percentage of adults queried who “answered ‘definitely true’ or ‘probably true’ to six or more of the 11 negative stereotypes about Jews that were tested.” Responses ranged from 5% in Sweden and 8% in Norway, Canada, and the Netherlands, to 97% in Kuwait, the West Bank and Gaza.

Seventy-six percent of respondents in the Middle East and Africa, 51% in Asia, and 49% in Eastern Europe were found to agree with most antisemitic tropes surveyed. Though the respondents living in the Americas (24%), Western Europe (17%) and Oceania (20%) expressed less agreement with antisemitic statements, countries in these regions have seen tremendous incidents of violent antisemitism since Oct. 7, 2023.

AUSCHWITZ 80 YEARS SINCE LIBERATION: RYSZARD HOROWITZ’S STORY OF SURVIVAL AND MAKING THE AMERICAN DREAM

Antisemitic hate on display at an anti-Israel protest in London. (Campaign Against Antisemitism on X)

In response to growing problems in the U.S., some in the American Jewish community have begun looking for safety outside the country. Israel’s Ministry of Immigration and Absorption, according to media reporting, said 3,340 Americans had immigrated to Israel as of September 2024. This represents a more than 30% increase from the 2,479 Americans who immigrated to Israel in 2023.

Nuri Katz, founder of Apex Capital Partners, has helped clients procure citizenship through investment for 32 years. Over the last five years, Katz told Fox News Digital that his Jewish client base expanded due to record levels of antisemitism inside the U.S. “American Jews are scared of being stuck and not being able to leave, just like many of their forefathers were stuck in Europe after the beginning of World War II,” he explained.

Katz said a popular choice among his Jewish clients is citizenship through investment in small Caribbean countries like St. Kitts and Antigua.

Though a long-awaited ceasefire and partial hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas is underway, the state of antisemitism around the world could be difficult to rein in.

A Jewish man was shot in the shoulder in Chicago in an antisemitic hate crime. (Fox 32 Chicago)

Rabbi Moshe Hauer, executive vice president of Orthodox Union, told Fox News Digital, “It will certainly take time for the world to get the distortions of the past year and a half out of their mind.” He emphasized that “the Jewish people, the Israeli government, the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, have been waiting for the day when they can stop the fight, when they can start just building everybody’s future in a positive way, and being able to go back to working on providing the world with solutions to problems. And we’re very, very eager to get back to that.”

In the meantime, “elevated security costs are everywhere in the Jewish community,” Hauer said, explaining that some refer to the expense as “the antisemitism tax.” As a congregational rabbi in the 1990s, Hauer said, “Security in the synagogue meant the last person out should turn the button on the lock.” Today, he said, “Security committees are the most active committees in most synagogues.”

JEWISH HIGH SCHOOLERS FIGHT HATE WITH COMMUNITY SUPPORT, FACE NARROWING PROSPECTS FOR COLLEGIATE FUTURE

The United Nations building in New York City, Sept. 19, 2023. (Julia Bonavita for Fox News Digital)

The cost is “way more than the significant dollars” spent on security, Hauer said. “The cost is that the energy and the resources which faith communities should be investing in strengthening family and strengthening community… is being diverted” to turn “communal Jewish homes into fortresses.”

As a note of “good news,” Hauer said the hate emanating from “mass protests has, thank God, improved,” adding, “And that speaks to the better nature of the masses of both leaders and responsible people in this country, as well as the citizens.”

“We are hopeful,” he said, explaining that America has “a sometimes too-silent majority that despises the acts of hate which are being committed against anybody.” Hauer also added that the country “has to correct itself.”

With only some of the remaining hostages slated to be released at present, the time for relief has yet to arrive.

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Hauer called on a dichotomous mixture of hope and dismay in a press release about long-awaited hostage transfers. “We rejoice with the hostages who are being released, and we weep with those remaining in the hands of Hamas,” Hauer said.

“We are grateful that the new administration worked with the old to bring the necessary pressure to bear on Hamas, but we are incensed that the world has allowed this to go on for so long. We are grateful to President Trump for moving quickly to bring freedom to many, but we will not forget for even a moment the many who remain. There should still be hell to pay,” Hauer said.

January 28, 2025
‘Yellowstone’ and ‘1923’ spark cowboy core travel trend, ‘people are flocking to the great outdoors’

Fort Worth, Texas, mayor Mattie Parker joins ‘The Big Money Show’ to discuss the ‘quintessential Texas city’ whose economy was boosted by the show and its spinoff, ‘1883.’

With the “Yellowstone” finale being the most-watched episode in the show’s history, and “1923” releasing its second season in February, the hit Western franchise has sparked a new interest in cowboy core travel, according to experts.

Fans of the show have flocked to Montana and Wyoming since its release in 2018, but travel trends seemed to have picked up after “Yellowstone” concluded its fifth season after a two-year hiatus.

“We always see an increase in interest to Wyoming and Montana when the show, or any of the spin-offs, drop new episodes,” Matt Appleby of Travelmation told Fox Business.

‘YELLOWSTONE’ CREATOR AND STAR KELLY REILLY DISAGREED ON BETH DUTTON’S STORYLINE FOR HIT SHOW

The Kevin Costner-led “Yellowstone” has lured fans to Montana and Wyoming. (Getty Images / Getty Images)

“Fans want to become a part of what they are seeing on their screens, and they book vacations seeking adventure and solitude. When you watch ‘Yellowstone’, you can’t help but dream about immersing yourself in nature and riding a horse on a ranch in the wilderness,” he continued.

“These shows have been so wonderful for our national parks. People are flocking to the great outdoors, and many travel companies are taking notice,” Appleby said. “There are places that will curate a unique experience involving adventure and even high-class dining for the cowboy foodies.”

In 2023, Lucy Beighle, director of communications for Glacier Country Tourism, told the Washington Post that the Western Montana region, where seasons four and five of “Yellowstone” were filmed, has seen an increase in travel.

“We always see an increase in interest to Wyoming and Montana when the show, or any of the spin-offs, drop new episodes.”

– Matt Appleyby, Travelmation advisor

“We definitely have seen an uptick in interest because of ‘Yellowstone,’” Beighle said. “If Montana wasn’t already on the map, and if people have seen ‘Yellowstone,’ it certainly is now.”

The Washington Post reported that the Bureau of Business and Economic Research and the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research at the University of Montana issued a study that found “Yellowstone” fans spent $730 million on tourism in 2021.

According to the study, two million people credited the Taylor Sheridan series as their reason for visiting Montana.

Kevin Costner and Luke Grimes starred as members of the Dutton family on “Yellowstone.” (Paramount+ / Fox News)

The outlet spoke to locals, including Hillary Folkvord, who explained that “Yellowstone” has “been good” for Montana and Wyoming.

“It shows how beautiful Montana is. And we hope to preserve that as stewards. That’s really important to us,” she noted.

“My friends from back East watch it religiously. And they tell me, ‘It looks so magical and majestic. It’s just wide-open spaces,’” she told the outlet. “I think that’s what people are craving right now. Montana gives you that.”

Carole Amos, a travel advisor for Travelmation, told Fox Business that “dude ranches” are drawing visitors to Montana and Wyoming so they can receive the “American frontier” experience.

Kevin Costner played John Dutton on the hit show “Yellowstone” since its premiere in 2018. (Paramount Network / Fox News)

“The best way to unleash your inner cowboy is on a dude ranch. I have done multiple trips with my family around Colorado and Wyoming, and everyone loves it,” Amos said.

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“A dude ranch is one of the few places where you go completely off the grid and immerse yourself in America’s frontier. You can go horseback riding, fishing or square dancing, compete in a rodeo, herd cows and even learn how to shoot a gun if that interests you.

“I especially love a breakfast or lunch ride where you hop on a horse and head to the top of a mountain for a meal with an unforgettable view. You can also just sit on your cabin porch and take in the stunning scenery, which you can’t experience anywhere else,” she continued.

An aerial shot of Yellowstone National Park taken on June 19, 2022, in Gardiner, Montana. (Photo by Samuel Wilson-Pool/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Amos emphasized that “you truly transform into a cowboy on a dude ranch.”

“Everyone has their boots, their hat, their flannel shirts and they show up ready for adventure,” she concluded.

“Yellowstone” starred John Dutton (Kevin Costner) and the Dutton family in their attempts to preserve their way of life and their family ranch in Montana. The show also starred Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser and Wes Bentley.

Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford star in Taylor Sheridan’s “1923.” (Getty Images / Getty Images)

The final episode of the Western series aired on Dec. 15.

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“1923” followed the Dutton family’s adventure, leading them to Montana. The series stars Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren and Brandon Skelnar. The show returns to the small screen for season two on Feb. 23.

January 26, 2025
’12 Grapes Under the Table on New Year’s Eve’ Tradition Makes Blinkit Deliver ‘7x More’ Grapes Ahead of New Year 2025, CEO Albinder Dhindsa Shares ‘Cart Volume Trend’

As New Year’s Eve celebrations unfold, food and grocery delivery apps revealed some interesting trends in consumer behaviour, with Indians opting for their favourite items to ring in the new year. For many, it was a celebratory dinner of biryani or pizza, while others prepared for house parties with cold drinks and chips. However, Blinkit CEO Albinder Dhindsa was left surprised when grapes unexpectedly became one of the most ordered items on the popular 10-minute delivery app. Earlier, Dhindsa was baffled over surged orders for grapes. But comments on his post cleared his confusion. Many users explained that a viral Spanish tradition is to be blamed for the grape mania. “We’ve already delivered 7x more grapes than we do on a regular day And thank you to everyone who explained the tradition in the replies! (sic),” he posted on X. Eating 12 Grapes on NYE 2024: What Does It Symbolise? Which Colour Grapes To Eat for Good Fortune? Everything About Spain’s ‘Twelve Grapes of Luck’ New Year Tradition.

Blinkit Delivers ‘7x More’ Grapes Ahead of New Year 2025

We’ve already delivered 7x more grapes than we do on a regular day 🤯

And thank you to everyone who explained the tradition in the replies! https://t.co/HOshQuOotK

— Albinder Dhindsa (@albinder) December 31, 2024

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December 31, 2024