Fact Check: Did Stephen Miller once say ‘Vote for Trump’ if young men don't want to be drafted?
WASHINGTON, DC: Amid the announcement of drafting young men into military service despite reaching a ceasefire deal with Iran, a rumor has been circulating on social media platforms claiming that Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller once tweeted asking young men to vote for Donald Trump if they don’t want to be drafted. Let us fact-check the claim.
Claim: Stephen Miller warned against being drafted if they voted for Kamala Harris
The viral claim surfaced with a screenshot, showing an alleged tweet by Miller in 2024, in which he warns against voting for former Vice President Kamala Harris if they don’t want to be drafted to fight a third World War and instead vote for Trump.
The purported tweet states, “If young men don't want to be drafted to fight in Kamala's and Cheney's 3rd World War, they better get out and vote for Trump.”
The screenshot has sparked speculations, with many denying it to be fake, while others are asserting it to be authentic.
Fact Check: True, Stephen Miller indeed tweeted it
The claim is true, as the White House Deputy Chief of Staff indeed tweeted the above words in April 2024 ahead of the presidential elections.
The tweet resurfaced as the federal government appears to be planning an expansion of its military human resources, as any eligible young man would be automatically registered for the draft.
The new development comes despite achieving a ceasefire deal with Iran, ending the weeks-long conflict in the Middle East.
United States proposes automatic draft registration
Changes have been proposed to the ‘automatic registration’ rule, stating that eligible men will be automatically added to the draft database starting in December this year.
Military service in the US has been voluntary since 1973, and the government has not activated a draft since the Vietnam War.
However, former President Jimmy Carter in 1980 stated that the Selective Service System (SSS), which maintains the database of draft-eligible Americans, could use the registry to “provide personnel to the Department of War and alternative service for conscientious objectors” in case of a “national emergency,” with the “permission of the President and Congress.”
Addressing speculation about whether draft measures could take place amid the war with Iran, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in March that while a draft is not part of the current plan, President Donald Trump “wisely keeps his options on the table.”
