“The View” co-host Whoopi Goldberg claimed Monday that the Trump administration is preparing to institute a military draft in connection with its ongoing military operation in Iran — remarks that drew pushback even from a fellow panelist on the program.
During the Monday edition of the ABC talk show, Goldberg referenced recent Wall Street Journal reporting on President Trump’s handling of the Iran war as context for her remarks. Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin warned that Iran’s standing as the world’s biggest state sponsor of terrorism meant threats could persist for decades even after a peace deal.
Ms. Goldberg responded by asserting a draft was coming.
“None of it goes away,” she said. “And that’s why they are planning on a draft. They’re planning on a draft. And you’re bitching and moaning that there are women who are part of the Army, Navy, all the — and you’re getting rid of people and you talk about who shouldn’t be — what the hell are you people doing?”
Ms. Griffin offered context for what may have prompted Ms. Goldberg’s remarks, noting that the administration is changing Selective Service registration so that eligible men are enrolled automatically rather than required to opt in themselves. Ms. Goldberg was unmoved, repeating: “It’s a draft. I’m sorry, it’s a draft.”
The registration change Ms. Griffin referenced is real but distinct from an actual draft. On Dec. 18, 2025, Mr. Trump signed the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act into law, mandating automatic Selective Service registration. The statutory change transfers responsibility for enrollment from individual men to the Selective Service System through integration with federal data sources, with full implementation expected by December 2026.
There are currently no formal plans to reinstate a draft. When asked about the possibility earlier this year, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Mr. Trump “keeps his options on the table.”
Lawmakers have been careful to distinguish the registration change from conscription. The nationwide measure was passed with bipartisan support months before the current conflict with Iran. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, a Pennsylvania Democrat and a member of the Armed Services Committee, said automatic registration simply shifts the paperwork burden from the individual to the government.
The last military draft in the United States ended in February 1973 during the Vietnam War. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed a law requiring men between ages 18 and 25 to register for military conscription, a process the new NDAA provision now automates.
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