Charlie Kirk's Pastor Said He Received Numerous Death Threats but Was Never Afraid

Back in 2018, Charlie Kirk approached politics through a secular lens and frequently argued that religion should be kept out of politics, reports NBC News. Although he was raised in the evangelical church, Charlie was a huge proponent of the separation of church and state.

He told Dave Rubin in November 2018 that back in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, politicians tried to impose their religious beliefs through government policy, something he felt was a huge mistake.

Charlie went on to say that it was the funneling of Christian beliefs through the government that created a counterculture who rejected what was ostensibly being forced upon them by law. The following year, Charlie would meet a pastor from a megachurch who inspired the right-wing political pundit to do a full 180.

What happened? Here's what we know.

Back in 2019, Charlie met a megachurch pastor named Rob McCoy, who founded the Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Newbury Park, Calif. McCoy told Charlie that not only was America a Christian nation, but he believed its founding documents were derived from the Bible.

According to the Associated Press, "References to the Creator and Nature’s God in the Declaration reflect a general theism that could be acceptable to Christians, Unitarians, deists and others."

Things really shifted for Charlie in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic forced churches to close in order to help stop the spread of the virus. Charlie, and many others, believed this was the government's attempt to control Christians. McCoy would later preach that the COVID-19 vaccine killed people.

He also said critical race theory is "diabolical," per the Ventura County Star.

In 2021, Charlie and McCoy created TPUSA Faith, a branch of Turning Point USA, which focuses on mobilizing Christians.

Andrew Kolvet, a Turning Point USA spokesperson, told NBC News that Kirk wanted to "rally the churches" to let them know they can have political opinions about transgender surgeries for minors or registering voters. Kirk has also aligned himself with spiritual leaders who push apocalyptic rhetoric around America needing saving. They want every law to be rooted in their faith.

Following Charlie's death, his longtime friend and spiritual mentor spoke with Fox 11 via Zoom from a hotel in Utah.

"Charlie didn't die today; he began to truly live," said Pastor Rob McCoy. "His heart was secured in Jesus. That's what he professed and proclaimed. He had no fear of death. Every day he faced death threats from evil, and he was never afraid of that."

When asked if Charlie ever told him about a fear of being assassinated, McCoy said of course. That's why he was always with a security detail.

"He received death threats every day, hundreds," said McCoy. "His security detail was excellent. This was obviously, from my opinion, a professional hit. The gunman knew to leave the gun and run."

He added that evil thinks it won by killing Charlie, but it didn't. "They just hit a hornet's nest."