Pentagon leaders are reportedly considering a new military recruiting campaign that would frame service as a way to honor the legacy of the recently assassinated conservative activist, Charlie Kirk. This news comes straight from two officials who are familiar with the planning, per NBC. The officials said that a possible slogan for the campaign could be, “Charlie has awakened a generation of warriors.”
As part of this potential new campaign, there’s a discussion about using Turning Point USA chapters in high schools and colleges across the country as military recruitment centers. This could mean having recruiters at their events or putting up military advertisements at the chapters. This isn’t too surprising, considering President Donald Trump has credited Kirk and Turning Point USA with helping him win the 2024 election.
To be fair, this is only in the planning stages right now, and it’s not clear when or if it will actually happen. The idea is reportedly facing some resistance from within the Pentagon, with some leaders worried that it might look like the military is trying to capitalize on Kirk’s death, especially since he never actually served in the armed forces himself.
Charlie Kirk might somehow be the face of military recruiting
Since Kirk’s death, the Trump administration has already been using him to take down enemies in the media and elsewhere. The day after the assassination, Vice President J.D. Vance flew to Utah on Air Force Two to bring Kirk’s remains and his wife back to Arizona. The casket was even carried by members of the military. Trump, Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and several other Cabinet members are all scheduled to speak at Kirk’s memorial service in Arizona this weekend.
These efforts have also included moves to punish anyone who speaks ill of Kirk’s death. Just last week, Hegseth told his staff to actively search for any military members or Department of Defense workers who mocked or condoned the assassination so they could be punished. He also called on the public to report any critical posts about Kirk from people associated with the military.
In response to questions about the new recruiting campaign, Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said, “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.”
This potential new campaign comes at a time when the Pentagon’s Military Service Recruitment Task Force, which Tata co-chairs, is reportedly warning of a possible drop in future recruits. While Trump and Hegseth have talked up a recent increase in recruiting numbers, that trend actually started under the Biden administration after a couple of years of shortfalls.
The current uptick might be short-lived because of societal and generational changes that are shrinking the number of eligible Americans to serve. These changes show no signs of slowing down. Kirk had a huge following among young conservatives, and Trump has capitalized on that quickly.
Published: Sep 18, 2025 04:40 pm