Trump’s allies consider bringing back National Service after Sunak’s pledge

Donald Trump’s allies are considering reintroducing National Service in the wake of a similar pledge by Rishi Sunak.

Former officials from the Trump administration and Republican politicians have suggested the move would reinforce a sense of national identity and prepare the US for a war between the “great powers”, according to the Washington Post.

Mr Trump pushed back on the story after it was published, saying the idea that he could institute compulsory military service for the first time since the Vietnam War was “ridiculous”.

It comes after Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, vowed to bring back National Service for 18-year-olds to create a “renewed sense of pride in our country” in his first pledge of the general election campaign last month.

Under the £2.5bn scheme, school leavers will have to apply for a year-long placement in the Armed Forces or spend one weekend each month volunteering in their community.

Christopher Miller, a defence secretary during the Trump administration, said that a National Service requirement for the US should be “strongly considered”.

He described the concept as a common “rite of passage” that would create a sense of “shared sacrifice” among America’s youth, adding: “It reinforces the bonds of civility.”

He added: “If we’re going to prepare for a great-power competition, it’s helpful to have a baseline understanding of the pool of potential military service members and their specific aptitudes prior.”

J. D. Vance, a Republican senator whose name is on the shortlist for Trump’s running mate, said: “I like the idea of National Service.”

“I’m not talking about in wartime,” he added, and argued that more Americans should put “some skin in the game”.

Rob Hood, a former official in the Trump defence department, said he believed it would help 18-year-olds gain “a better appreciation for how great this country is”.

“Who gave them their Social Security numbers? The United States government,” he said. “There can be the takers and there can be the givers, and once we’re all a bunch of takers and there are no givers, this country will collapse.”

The US has not had conscription since 1973 – two years before the end of the Vietnam War – and it has remained a politically toxic issue for decades.

Danielle Vinson, a professor of politics at Furman University, cast doubt on whether Mr Trump could make a credible intervention on the issue.

“Maybe if a president seriously got behind it and could demonstrate a clear military need for it you might see it go somewhere,” she told The Telegraph.

 “But given Trump’s avoidance of military service and his frequent lack of respect for those who have served, I’m not sure he would be a credible messenger for such an effort.”

She added: “I’m not aware that Congress has seriously considered anything like mandatory military service in recent years.  I’m not sure how popular it would be in practice.”

After the Washington Post story was published on Tuesday, Mr Trump said the notion that he would reintroduce National Service was “ridiculous”.

He wrote on his Truth Social platform of the newspaper: “This is only a continuation of their eight-year failed attempt to damage me with the voters.

“This story is completely untrue. In fact, I never even thought of that idea.”