WATCH: Biden’s military recruitment ad featured lesbian soldier with 2 moms—Trump’s focus is on strength

During Biden’s presidency, an Army recruiting advertisement went viral for featuring a soldier named Emma who was raised by lesbian mothers and “marched for equality” as a child before joining the service. The advertisement received criticism from those who argued it was indicative of the military prioritizing things like diversity and LGBTQ+ themes over military readiness and strength.

Since Trump took office, many have noticed a shift in the tone of the US military. A recent US Army video posted on social media invited soldiers to participate in health and fitness training, featuring a sergeant lifting weights and declaring, “Strong people are harder to kill.”

The Army has also reported an increase in recruitment, which began before the election but has continued to climb under Trump’s administration. The military has struggled to meet its recruitment goals in recent years, but last week, the Army announced that December was its most productive recruitment month in 15 years, enlisting 346 soldiers per day. A report from Military.com indicated that the service has already reached the halfway point of its goal to enlist 61,000 active-duty soldiers for the fiscal year.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth weighed in on the recruitment surge, giving credit to the leadership of President Trump. In a post on X, Hegseth wrote, “BREAKING: In December 2024, the @USArmy had its best recruiting number in 12 years. In January 2025, the Army hit its best recruiting number in 15 YEARS. BOTTOM LINE: America’s youth want to serve under the bold & strong ‘America First’ leadership of @realDonaldTrump.”

“We’ve already seen it in recruiting numbers,” Hegseth also said last month. “There’s already been a surge since President Trump won the election.”