The Pentagon issued a sharp denial Thursday, pushing back against an NBC News report that claimed military leaders were weighing a new recruitment effort tied to the legacy of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson blasted the report in comments to Fox News Digital, calling it “100% wrong.” He added: “This is not happening, yet Fake News NBC published this report as if it were true using anonymous sources with no knowledge of what the recruitment task force at DOW is working on.”
NBC’s article, written by Courtney Kube, cited two unnamed officials who alleged that Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Anthony Tata was leading discussions on a campaign framed as a national “call to service.” The report suggested possible slogans such as “Charlie has awakened a generation of warriors,” and claimed Turning Point USA chapters might serve as recruitment hubs.
But Pentagon officials flatly rejected the allegations. In a statement released to both NBC and Fox News, chief spokesman Sean Parnell accused the media of fabricating stories: “The media is so desperate to attack this administration’s success that they are now inventing lies. Under the strong leadership of President Trump and Secretary Hegseth, men and women are coming out in droves to serve this great nation.”
The NBC report also noted some unnamed officials feared such a campaign could be viewed as “exploiting” Kirk’s assassination. Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was killed earlier this month. His casket was flown aboard Air Force Two to Arizona, where President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth are set to attend his memorial service.
