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The Pentagon is pushing back hard against an NBC News report alleging military leaders were weighing a new recruitment drive connected to the legacy of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson told Fox News Digital the report was “100% wrong,” blasting NBC for “publishing false claims based on anonymous sources.”
“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,” Wilson said.
The Pentagon also released the original statement it gave NBC, in which Chief Spokesman Sean Parnell accused the media of inventing lies about recruitment efforts in an attempt to undermine the administration.
PENTAGON SPEECH CRACKDOWN ON ANTI-KIRK POSTS ECHOES 2021 DRIVE AGAINST RIGHT-WING EXTREMISM
The seal of the Department of War is displayed inside the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“The media is so desperate to attack this administration’s success that they are now inventing lies,” Parnell said. “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 article, written by reporter Courtney Kube, cited two unnamed officials who claimed Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Anthony Tata was leading discussions on a recruitment campaign framed as a national “call to service.”
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A portrait of conservative activist Charlie Kirk is seen at a memorial display following his assassination earlier this month. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
According to NBC, potential slogans included: “Charlie has awakened a generation of warriors.” The report also claimed Turning Point USA chapters might be tapped as recruitment hubs.
The outlet noted that some officials allegedly warned such an effort could be viewed as “exploiting” Kirk’s assassination.
Fox News has reached out to NBC News for comment on the Pentagon’s denial. NBC News did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated earlier this month.
His casket was flown aboard Air Force Two to Arizona, where President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and other senior officials are scheduled to attend his memorial service.
