Retired Lt. Col. Daniel Davis, who spent 21 years in the Army and experienced four combat deployments, is a two-time Bronze Star awardee. Currently, he is a senior fellow at the think tank, Defense Priorities, which focuses on foreign policy.

Davis believes military enlistment declined during President Biden’s term because the military was perceived as “woke” and military leaders in Washington were seen as more politically inclined rather than focusing on national defense.

“People think, ‘We can’t really trust them,’ so they’re showing this distrust by not enlisting,” Davis shared with Fox News Digital. “What’s significant is, veterans like me, if questioned about joining, I’d advise against it. I lacked faith in the military hierarchy and the administration.”

But with Trump in office, Davis thinks the pendulum is swinging in the other direction. 

“Trump said he brought [Secretary of Defense Pete] Hegseth in to bring back the warrior culture, to bring back accountability and merit promotions, etc., as opposed to any quotas or criteria, and that really appealed to all those folks that were not signing up,” David said, adding that Trump is viewed as more “pro-America” and more “pro-service member” than his predecessor. 

President Donald Trump speaks next to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, April 30, 2025. (Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo)

He also said Trump appeals to potential military members because of his promise not to enter the United States into what he calls “stupid wars.”

“And he says he doesn’t want to get into stupid wars. He wants to get the one in Russia over with,” said Davis, cautioning that it is still too early in Trump’s second term to know exactly how his foreign policy positions will play out. 

“But as long as Trump stays on this path of bringing peace and not sending people out to fight dumb wars, then I think you’ll see the numbers keep rising.”