The Pentagon is pushing back against a report by NBC News that claims military officials are considering a new recruitment campaign centered around the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Citing two unnamed sources “familiar with the planning,” NBC reported that the campaign would encourage young Americans to honor Kirk’s legacy by enlisting in the military, with proposed slogans such as “Charlie has awakened a generation of warriors.”
According to the report, the initiative could involve using Turning Point USA chapters at high schools and colleges as potential recruitment hubs. However, NBC noted that some Pentagon officials are resisting the idea, concerned about the perception that the military may appear to be politicizing Kirk’s death.
Pentagon officials strongly denied the claims. Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson told Fox News the report is “100% wrong,” accusing NBC of publishing false information based on anonymous sources. “This is not happening, yet Fake News NBC published this report as if it were true,” Wilson said.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell echoed the denial in a statement to NBC, saying, “The media is so desperate to attack this administration’s success that they are now inventing lies about our recruitment efforts. Leadership matters, and under the strong leadership of President Trump and Secretary Hegseth, men and women are coming out in droves to serve this great nation.”
NBC’s report comes as the Pentagon continues to focus on improving recruitment numbers, which have rebounded in the past year following shortfalls in 2022 and 2023. In June, the Department of Defense launched a recruitment task force aimed at addressing long-term enlistment challenges.
“While we have great recruiting numbers now, it might not always be the case,” Parnell said in a July interview. “One of the things we’re trying to achieve with this task force is figuring out how to shift the culture so more young Americans see military service as a viable career.” He noted that only 7% to 11% of Americans currently view the military as a realistic option, a significant drop from 27% in the years following the 9/11 attacks.