Trump Administration Wants to Make It More Difficult to Evade a Military Draft
Quick Insights
The Bottom Line
Selective Service will automatically register eligible men, aiming to increase draft registration amid falling rates.
How This Affects You
Men aged 18-25 face automatic registration, and non-compliance remains a felony with penalties including prison, job, and loan restrictions.
AI Summary
The Selective Service System will begin automatically registering names later this year, abandoning the self-registration process for draft-eligible American men ages 18 to 25. This change aims to make it harder to evade a potential military draft, following a 3 percent point drop in registrations from 2023 to 2024, when only 81 percent of eligible men registered. A U.S. government official noted this has been "in the works for quite a while" and referenced the potential of war with a near-peer power and a Trump administration "obsession" with "comprehensive federal databases." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated President Donald Trump "keeps his options on the table" regarding a return of the draft, which would require congressional approval. Failure to register is a felony, barring men from federal jobs and student loans, and carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
What's Being Done
Selective Service is shifting to automatic registration; the Trump administration considers a draft return.
Source Coverage Map
9 of 43 tracked sources covered this story
Following this story?
Get notified when new coverage appears
Other Sources Covering This Story
5 sourcesMultiple outlets have reported on this story. Compare perspectives from different sources.
What to know about automatic Selective Service registration starting in December
What to Know About the U.S. Military Draft Pool and Automatic Registration
This article is part of a story we're tracking:
Should this be getting more attention?
You Might Have Missed
Related stories from different sources and perspectives
National SecurityAutomatic registration for US military draft to begin in December
Eligible men will automatically be registered into the military draft pool by December as part of an effort to streamline the previous process of self-registration and save money. The Selective Service System (SSS) — the government agency that maintains a database of men to be called up to serve in the case of a national…
EnvironmentTrump administration proposes gutting rules targeting coal plant ash that threatens groundwater - AP News
<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxPTWNVdGVJMUFuWFd0MERJdFRiUW1OUmhNVUowOTJ5LWMzRzFkOWNoWGJwSjJ2bTdpMDk5eUZSbVJmMFBfOHhIX1NNbWt4RnFGSHVBd3FiUU9icGNVUjlkQ0dRRW01a1pyd3FjRXBLSGczYlZNUzRYaVEzVHBjell1Skh0YWNZQklPaGZGU2JjTVVSbFJVc25rbnI1N3BtSFJCYnFKczVCY3kyeFhBSG5z?oc=5" target="_blank">Trump administration proposes gutting rules targeting coal plant ash that threatens groundwater</a> <font color="#6f6f6f">AP News</font>
PoliticsTrump administration temporarily blocks Minnesota’s historic wage floor for nursing home workers - AP News
<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxNeTZRdDVySm01RXVfczNneUN4akhqNlllVkd0bG9BZkp1RjBSeUhqcUFwRU50Mm4zMHpPbnpwYWJrNHdXcHFYbDMxWFoyLWZZLUpWUDg5WEFjRDlrTmZkc1FvdUU3X09xUEFTYUI5S0pZcDEtNThxQk9vQ1Q5RGp5UWZhajNmOHNoMGRkczc0cUhFT1RQdkZRenFzZlFfaGFfekc0NENNbw?oc=5" target="_blank">Trump administration temporarily blocks Minnesota’s historic wage floor for nursing home workers</a> <font color="#6f6f6f">AP News</font>
PoliticsCommunities are waiting on billions in disaster funding from the Trump administration
States say disaster funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency has slowed to a trickle under the Trump administration. That's delaying projects to protect communities from wildfires and hurricanes.
PoliticsCIA World Factbook shuttered by Trump administration
The Trump administration has shut down the CIA World Factbook, and there's much lamenting about the demise of a free, trusted source many people used to check basic facts about countries.
Civil RightsTrump administration cannot nix legal status of 5,000 Ethiopians, US judge rules - Reuters
<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivAFBVV95cUxNSGF0NzRWUzBhS0R2UUhoMW1PbjlOMXdqTElFZ1VXSlZBZDE1cDhyb3YtTEYtSUZsRFVhaHJUemV4Q2Q4MG1EdlVzbHVISlBFRnNkNzNFSlhCcnFRLVVDdnN0djZ2NWhhM0pMRTJjdWRzMHROblR6MmNZU2ctSktWdERPdjRiZlBsS1lqczdGWnMwNWx6OEFWYUsyNGVQaUoxTWpSRHZFN1JsQkVFckwxd2NFN1pGRFlkUXVTdw?oc=5" target="_blank">Trump administration cannot nix legal status of 5,000 Ethiopians, US judge rules</a> <font color="#6f6f6f">Reuters</font>
DOGE Cuts Left U.S. Unable to Help Americans Stranded in Iran War Zone
Foreign service officers fired in Elon Musk’s workforce purge warn the State Department is unable to help Americans stranded in the Middle East. The post DOGE Cuts Left U.S. Unable to Help Americans Stranded in Iran War Zone appeared first on The Intercept .
Did this story change how you see things?
Stories like this only matter when people see them. Help us get verified journalism in front of more eyes.
The Verity Ledger curates verified investigative journalism from trusted sources only.
See our sourcesMost Read This Week
Fuel efficiency a hot topic at New York Auto Show
Over-the-counter medication abortion? These researchers say it would be safe
Supreme Court returns state-secrets privilege case to lower court
US Democratic lawmakers visit Cuba, call on Trump to "bring the rhetoric down" - Reuters
She paid into Medicare for years. Trump's immigration policy will end her coverage
