President Donald Trump on Monday, 7 July declared that the United States had returned to a 'merit-based' system governing college admissions, military recruitment, and public institutions, crediting recent Supreme Court rulings and his administration's policies for what he described as the end of race-based preferences. The remarks were delivered at a White House Rose Garden luncheon.

What Trump Said

'We now have a country based on merit,' Trump told attendees. 'That goes for colleges... you get into colleges by merit and you get into the military by merit.' He credited the US Supreme Court specifically for enabling the shift in college admissions, saying: 'I frankly, I give a lot of credit to the Supreme Court on that one, because that was a tough one for them. We won.'

Trump argued that under the previous admissions framework, high-achieving students had been passed over in favour of less qualified applicants. 'People were getting into college with bad marks, with bad board scores, not great students. And they'd get into college and people with straight A's with the highest boards everything else couldn't get into colleges,' he said.

Military Recruitment Claims

Trump extended the merit argument to the armed forces, asserting that military enlistment had surged since his return to office. 'We had a military where we could not sign anybody before the election,' he said. 'Now recruitment has gone to an all time high. We've never had anything like it.' He added that recruits were now selected purely on ability and physical fitness: 'I'd like to have strong soldiers. I want my soldiers to be strong physically and we have strong soldiers. It's all based on merit.'

Independent analysts have not yet verified the recruitment figures cited by Trump, and the administration has not released supporting data alongside the remarks.

Broader Context

The comments arrive against the backdrop of the Supreme Court's 2023 landmark ruling striking down race-conscious admissions at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina — a decision Trump's administration has consistently cited as validation of its policy direction. Critics, however, argue that removing race as a factor in admissions does not automatically produce equitable outcomes and that structural barriers to elite education remain largely unaddressed.

This is not the first time Trump has framed meritocracy as a cornerstone of his governance philosophy; similar language featured prominently in his first term's executive orders on diversity programmes. The current administration has moved to roll back federally mandated diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across government agencies and contractors.

Other Announcements

The Rose Garden address covered a wide range of topics beyond education and military policy. Trump also announced a new investment programme for American children and touched on foreign policy, crime statistics, economic performance, and ongoing renovations at the White House. No further details on the children's investment programme were immediately available.

What Comes Next

With legal challenges to anti-DEI executive orders still working through federal courts, the practical reach of Trump's merit-based framework remains contested. Education advocacy groups and civil rights organisations are expected to continue mounting legal and political opposition, making the durability of these policies contingent on further judicial outcomes.