Utah Valley University has selected as its 2026 commencement speaker a social media personality who publicly maligned conservative leader Charlie Kirk just days after his assassination.
According to The Post Millennial, Utah Valley University (UVU) announced on March 26 that Sharon McMahon would address graduates at the upcoming ceremony, lauding her as someone who has "dedicated her time and efforts to breaking down topics in civics, history, and current events with nonpartisan explanations to help empower informed discussions."
The choice has sparked outrage among conservatives and many on campus who see the decision as a slap in the face to those still mourning Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder whose influence on young conservatives was profound.
McMahons critics point to her conduct in the immediate aftermath of Kirks killing, when, on September 12just two days after his assassinationshe published a post portraying him as a racist and accusing him of spreading "bigoted ideas" "on a stage that reached tens of millions."
Rather than offering condolences or condemning political violence, McMahon used a moment of national shock to recycle hostile narratives about Kirk, relying on selectively edited remarks to paint him in the worst possible light.
Although she later deleted the Instagram post, a Threads version of her comments remains online, where she insisted, "These arent sound bites taken out of context. Millions of people feel they were harmed, and the murder that was horrific and should never have happened does not magically erase what was said or done."
That framing allowed her to acknowledge the brutality of the crime while still using the tragedy as a vehicle to reinforce progressive attacks on a prominent conservative voice.
One of the statements McMahon held up as supposedly representative of Kirks views was a line from a podcast in which he said, "If I see a black pilot, I'm going to be like, 'Boy I hope he's qualified.'"
McMahon asserted that this remark, "in context," "casts suspicion on all black professionals, not just individuals, and sounds like he automatically views black Americans as less intelligent or less educated."
Yet the very next moments of that same podcastomitted from her framingshow Kirk explicitly rejecting that interpretation and explaining that such reactions are a toxic byproduct of corporate diversity mandates.
"That's not who I am, that's not what I believe," he said, going on to argue that when airlines like United Airlines openly prioritize racial quotas, ordinary passengers may begin to question whether merit has been sacrificed for ideology.
Kirk continued by describing how DEI-driven hiring rhetoric can erode public confidence in all professionals, regardless of their actual qualifications.
"The CEO said he's forcing that a white qualified guy is not gonna get the job. So I see this guy, he might be a nice person, I say, 'boy, I hope he's not a Harvard-style affirmative action student," Kirk added, making clear he was criticizing the system, not black Americans as a group.
He then warned that such reactions are themselves harmful, calling them "unhealthy thinking patterns" born of DEI policies that "no one should" have.
For many conservatives, that fuller context underscores that McMahons portrayal was not an honest engagement with Kirks ideas but a partisan attempt to smear him.
Caleb Chilcutt, president of the TPUSA chapter at UVU, condemned the universitys decision in comments to The Post Millennial, arguing that McMahons behavior in the wake of the assassination should disqualify her from such an honor.
"Sharon McMahon posted a now-deleted series of out-of-context quotes from Charlie in an effort to tarnish his name and minimize the tragedy, rather than offering condolences or condemning political violence. While universities should welcome diverse viewpoints, platforming someone who treated a historic and tragic political assassination, not as a moment to grieve, but as an opportunity to create content, is tone-deaf and disrespectful to those still affected, especially on this campus," he said.
"There are countless better alternatives, and the fact the university is choosing McMahon is entirely disappointing to all of us still reeling from his loss. I couldnt be more disappointed in this university at such a hurtful and calloused decision," he added, reflecting a broader sense among conservatives that higher education continues to marginalize their voices even in moments of mourning.
Those concerns are amplified by McMahons broader record, which belies the universitys description of her as "nonpartisan."
Although McMahon brands herself as above the political fray, her social media output consistently echoes left-wing narratives, including the same "book bans" rhetoric used to attack parents who simply want to keep sexually explicit material out of childrens libraries.
In another instance, she advocated against voter ID requirements, aligning herself with a progressive position that undermines basic election integrity measures widely supported by conservatives and many independents.
Utah Valley Universitys decision to elevate such a figure at a time when the conservative community is still grieving has therefore struck many as a deliberate ideological statement rather than a unifying choice.
As the university prepares for its commencement on April 29, Tyler Robinsonthe man charged with Kirks murderfaces trial in Utah and the possibility of capital punishment, a stark reminder that for many students and families, this is not an abstract debate but a still-raw tragedy.
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