By Editor,Samantha Rutt

Copyright dailymail

The Pentagon is denying a report from NBC that claimed military leaders are considering launching a recruitment campaign tied to the legacy of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The NBC article, published on Thursday, alleged that top Pentagon officials were weighing a new initiative to frame Kirk’s assassination as a ‘national call to service,’ with slogans such as ‘Charlie has awakened a generation of warriors.’

The report cited two anonymous officials who said Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Anthony Tata was leading the effort, and that chapters of Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA, could be used as recruitment hubs.

Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson has since firmly rejected the claims in a statement to Fox News Digital, calling the NBC report ‘100% wrong’ and accusing the outlet of publishing misinformation 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 added.

The Pentagon also released the original statement it had provided to NBC prior to publication.

In it, chief spokesman Sean Parnell accused the media of ‘inventing lies’ to discredit the Trump administration’s leadership and recent gains in military recruitment.

‘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 also claimed that some Pentagon officials raised concerns that using Kirk’s death as a basis for recruitment could be seen as ‘exploiting’ the assassination.

However, the article noted that discussions were preliminary and no final decision had been made.

Kirk, 31, founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was assassinated on September 10 during a public appearance at Utah Valley University.

The conservative commentator was hit by a single bullet while speaking to a crowd at the public university in Orem at lunchtime after speaking for about 20 minutes.

The father-of-two, known for his fierce MAGA views and combative debates with college kids across the country, collapsed immediately after being hit in the neck by a single shot from about 200 yards.

He was answering a question about mass shootings mere seconds before he was struck. He was rushed to hospital in a critical condition, but was declared dead two-and-half hours later.

Kirk leaves behind his wife Erika Frantzve, with whom he had a three-year-old daughter and a son, 16 months. The couple celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary in May.

President Donald Trump led the tributes for the late political commentator. ‘The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social.

‘He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!’

The President has ordered all American flags to be lowered to half-staff until Sunday evening at 6pm EST in honor of Kirk.

His casket was flown aboard Air Force Two to Arizona, where President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and other senior officials are expected to attend his memorial service.