Former President Donald Trump promised to rehire the military service members who were fired for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine and pledged that the government would give them an apology and back pay during a campaign rally in Asheboro, North Carolina, on Wednesday.
“Kamala [Harris] and Crooked Joe purged 8,000 service members from our military for refusing their COVID vaccine mandate. They refused to do it,” Trump said on Wednesday. “We didn’t want a mandate. The mandate — you just can’t do that.”
“I will rehire every patriot that was fired with an apology and back pay,” Trump added. “They will get their back pay and an apology from our government.”
The Washington Examiner reported that the former president told the crowd that he hoped the service members who were fired over the Biden-Harris administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate had found “great jobs” and were now “making a lot of money.” However, Trump said he hoped that the service members would want to come back if he is elected president and gives them another opportunity to serve. He added, “The mandate stuff should have never happened.”
According to The Washington Examiner, only 43 of the 8,000 service members fired over the COVID-19 vaccine had rejoined the military as of October 2023 following the repeal of the Biden-Harris administration’s COZVID-19 vaccine mandate. The outlet noted that multiple groups, including New Civil Liberties Alliance and First Liberty Institute, have sued the government over the Biden-Harris administration’s vaccine mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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During Wednesday’s rally, Trump also slammed the Biden-Harris administration for causing the “major recruitment and retention crisis” in the military.
“Thanks to Comrade Kamala and Joe Biden, morale in our military is now so low that almost every single branch is suffering a major recruitment and retention crisis,” the former president said. “Upon taking office, I will begin the largest peacetime recruitment drive in the history of armed forces. We have to fill our armed services with great people.”
Trump warned that the U.S. military no longer has “spirit” and that soldiers are no longer encouraging their friends to join the military. Speaking optimistically of the military’s future under a potential Trump-Vance administration, the former president said, “The sense of spirit, pride, and prestige will soon come roaring back and reach levels never seen before. We’re gonna make it so hot that I’m gonna want to resign and join the military.”
