Temcishet

Charlie Kirk was a close friend, a genuinely decent human being, an amazing family man and above all else, a man of deep personal faith in God. He was loyal to his friends, highly intelligent, and had world-class political instincts. In short, the world has lost a generational talent and an even better human being. This picture is from two days before @JDVance's Senate Primary election in 2022. Charlie came to Ohio to campaign for him in the final weekend before the election. A lot has happened since then, but I'll never forget that it was actually Charlie who first introduced me to JD. He texted me out of the blue one morning, at a time when I was considering which Ohio senate candidate to sign-on with, and said, "You need to meet JD Vance." I texted him back: "The Never-Trump guy!?" He called me right away and insisted that JD was "one of us" and had experienced a true conversion about Trump. I was skeptical, but since Charlie was vouching for him, I was on the phone with JD within the hour. 90 minutes later, after JD and I had hit it off and decided to work together, Charlie excitedly told me I wouldn't regret it - And he was certainly right about that. Our lives and careers have been so intertwined in recent years that it's hard to believe that it wasn't that long ago -- back in 2018 -- when we first met. Before I knew him, I presumed he was just another blowhard talking head, trying to make a name for himself. It only took one conversation with him to completely disabuse me of that notion. I was blown away by his depth and sophistication. He was just in his mid-20s but I distinctly remember thinking, "This kid is a superstar." We bonded quickly over our similar political views and closeness in age, and ultimately developed a close friendship. We always had each other's back. If I needed help, I knew he would always be there for me. If he needed anything, I was always there for him. If there was a candidate for office he vouched for, that was all I needed. If there was a candidate for office I vouched for, that was all he needed. Though we texted or talked on the phone daily, we didn't get to see each other in person as much as either of us would have liked. The last time I saw him was back in April. He was coming to Boston for a fundraiser about 90 minutes from my house, and called me up to see if I wanted to get dinner. I told him that I was really swamped with work. He offered to meet me somewhere halfway and said, "Come on, man. I know you hate leaving your house and I know you're swamped, but how often are we in the same state at the same time?" So I met him at some shitty chain restaurant in Framingham, MA. We talked about politics, of course, but it was the personal stuff that sticks with me now. We talked about how our jobs could be all-consuming and hard on families. He told me how proud he was to be a father and how having kids made his life immeasurably better. "When are you and your wife going to start having kids?" he asked, wanting me to experience the joy that he was. One of the things that I always admired about Charlie is that he would go totally dark on Saturdays. He'd turn off his cellphone and focus entirely on his faith and his family. At the end of our dinner, we hugged and agreed we had to get together in person more often. But he had to go. He was hustling back to Boston to get on a red eye flight so he could be there when his kids woke up the next morning. I never imagined that would be the last time I'd see Charlie, but I'm truly thankful that he insisted on us having that final meal. My heart breaks for his wife and kids, but he was a believer in God and we should all take solace in the fact that he is in a better place. Love ya, CK.