Mikey McCoy, Charlie Kirk’s former chief of staff, described their first encounter in a rare interview on The Alex Marlow Show, one of several talks Marlow has held with people who knew Kirk well.

McCoy was 18 when Kirk spoke at his father’s church, an early church appearance for Kirk after pandemic rules had shut churches while marijuana shops and strip clubs remained open. McCoy then drove Kirk and Erika through heavy traffic to the airport, where Kirk asked searching questions about McCoy’s high school, college plans, philosophy, and American history; McCoy could answer almost none of them.

Kirk told McCoy not to attend college and instead to join his staff, a request that stunned the teenager. Kirk believed young people could surpass the low expectations set by media and public opinion and sought to help them overcome barriers to homeownership, marriage, children, and a stronger national future.