Rep. Jack Bergman, a retired U.S. Marine Corps three-star general who won reelection to Congress this past week, told Newsmax Saturday that the incoming Trump administration has a "big job" on its hands to restore the nation's recruitment efforts.
"Our forces are ready and they're trained and equipped to fight tonight," the Michigan Republican told Newsmax's "Saturday Agenda." "However, when you look at the longer-term force needs — in other words, men and women joining — recruiting has been down."
Most of the armed services, with the exception of the Marines, have failed to meet their recruiting goals, he added.
The Marines have been successful because "we said no, we're not doing any of the woke, unique stuff that has come out of the last four years from the Pentagon," said Bergman.
Still, the world is a "dangerous place" and the veterans and military are "the reason we're still free," he said, commenting as Veteran's Day approaches Monday.
"When you think about military readiness, it means you've got good people wanting to come and join us and become a Marine or join the Air Force, fly airplanes, drive ships, turn wrenches, do cyber, whatever it happens to be," said Bergman.
That means the incoming secretary of defense will have a big job, but that person will also have the backing of the Trump administration to meet its goals, the congressman added.
"I believe the men and women who are already in the military are going to want to stay and the young men and women who have not yet joined are going to be excited about joining, especially when they have a true leader in the White House," said Bergman.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the military have been causing issues, including in reenlistment numbers, he said.
"We've had a total failure of leadership at all appointed levels and to a smaller extent and at the uniformed level in some areas," said Bergman. "But I think that's going to sort itself out naturally here in the next year or two, but it's going to start to happen quickly after Jan. 20."
Meanwhile, Michigan voted red in the election because residents "really took a close look at their pocketbooks," said Bergman.
"It's no more complicated than that," he continued. "They saw that the lack of economic policy under the Biden-Harris administration, plus just the lack of caring about people across the country."
Michigan voters, he added, will vote for person over party at any time.
"Donald Trump is a man who says what he's going to do and then he does it," said Bergman. "People appreciate that.
"That's what we need in Michigan. Quite honestly, we haven't had leadership in Michigan here for the last six years in the governor's mansion ...
"But for our Michiganders, it was kind of a vote for Donald Trump to say, 'Hey, help us, help us get a Republican governor here in 2026.'"
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