Officials at the US War Department are considering using the assassination of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk as a tool for a new military recruiting campaign, NBC News has reported.
The report said that officials are considering using chapters of Turning Point USA, a political organization founded by Kirk, as recruitment centers. Possible slogans for the effort that officials have discussed include “Charlie has awakened a generation of warriors.”
Some officials are resistant to the idea, warning that a recruitment campaign could be seen as the Pentagon capitalizing on Kirk’s death. Kirk, who was only 31 years old when he was murdered, never served in the military.
When asked about the potential recruiting campaign, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell appeared to deny it. He told NBC: “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.”
On Saturday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth posted a video on X of himself reciting the Lord’s Prayer, which he said was “for Charlie,” accompanied by a montage of scenes demonstrating US military power, including missiles being fired, naval warships, fighter jets, bombers, and US troops in action.
Hegseth’s post drew criticism from some Christians for blending the prayer with militarism. “Pairing the Lord’s Prayer with military propaganda = shameful and gross,” Joshua Charles, a former White House speech writer and founder of the Catholic organization Eternal Christendom, wrote on X.
