As the Trump administration pressed ahead with its military campaign against Iran, the White House found itself trying to contain a fresh political row at home after press secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to categorically rule out a future U.S. draft, saying President Donald Trump “wisely does not remove options off of the table” and that such a step was “not part of the current plan right now.” Her remarks came during a March 8 appearance on Fox News with Maria Bartiromo, after the presenter raised concerns from “moms” worried that the conflict could grow into a wider war involving American ground forces and conscription.
The exchange quickly became one of the most discussed moments in the domestic political fallout from the Iran campaign. According to the published account of the interview and a separate report that reproduced the relevant portion of the exchange, Bartiromo asked Leavitt what she wanted to say to Americans concerned about “troops on the ground” and a possible draft. Leavitt responded that the operation “has been and it will continue to be” an air campaign, before adding that Trump, “as commander-in-chief,” wanted to continue assessing the success of the military operation. She then said plainly: “It’s not part of the current plan right now, but the president again wisely keeps his options on the table.”
