Is Trump Considering a Military Draft for Iran War?
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt didn't rule out a military draft during a Fox News interview over the weekend. That's got people worried.
Leavitt appeared on "Sunday Morning Futures" with Maria Bartiromo on March 8. They discussed the Iran war, rising fuel prices, and the SAVE Act.
"Mothers out there are worried that we're gonna have a draft, that they're going to see their sons and daughters get involved in this. What do you wanna say about the president's plan for troops on the ground?" Bartiromo asked.
Leavitt's response didn't exactly calm anyone's nerves.
"President Trump wisely does not remove options off of the table," she said. She added that having troops on the ground isn't currently part of the plan, which is largely an air campaign. But she didn't say it wouldn't happen.
The war has killed seven Americans so far. At least 1,230 people in Iran. Nearly 400 in Lebanon. At least 11 in Israel.
What Trump Has Actually Said
Trump hasn't publicly commented on the possibility of a draft for Iran. A review of his appearances and interviews in the last week shows he's avoided the topic.
On Air Force One March 7, reporters asked under what circumstances he'd send ground troops.
"I don't think it's an appropriate question," Trump said. "Could there be? Possibly, for a very good reason, have to be a very good reason."
That's not a no.
Back in September 2024 during the campaign, Trump posted on Truth Social suggesting he wouldn't implement a draft. He said a vote for his opponent would lead to one, implying he wouldn't do the same.
What It Would Actually Take
Bringing back the draft isn't something a president can do alone. It would require Congress to amend the Military Selective Service Act.
The current military operations in Iran haven't been approved by Congress as an act of war. Under the War Powers Act of 1973, the president can authorize military actions, but troops can only be deployed for 90 days unless war is formally declared. Only Congress has the power to declare war under the Constitution.
The last draft call happened in 1972. Presidential authority to induct personnel expired the very next year.
Trump's Vietnam War Record
Trump never served in the Vietnam War despite being draft age. He received four deferments for education and a fifth in 1968 for a medical exemption.
In 2018, daughters of a New York podiatrist told The New York Times their late father gave Trump a bone spurs diagnosis as a favor for his landlord, Fred Trump.
Trump has been repeatedly questioned about this. He's said he didn't serve because of his education and a lucky draft number.
"I had a good draft number and you know, so frankly I'm very you know, I feel fine about it. The Vietnam War was a war that was a mistake. It was big mistake, a horrible mistake just like Iraq was a mistake," Trump said in a 2016 radio interview.
The Reality
Leavitt didn't rule out a draft. She said Trump "wisely does not remove options off of the table." That's diplomatic speak for "we're not saying no."
Whether a draft actually happens depends on how the war goes and what Congress does. But the fact that the White House won't say no is enough to make people nervous. Especially mothers watching their kids reach draft age while American deaths in Iran climb to seven and counting.
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