Utah Valley University has dropped author and educator Sharon McMahon as its 2025 commencement speaker after a wave of outrage over her public comments about Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated on the same campus last fall.
The university announced the reversal, stating, "Due to increased safety concerns related to the speaker and in consultation with public safety professionals and Sharon McMahon, Utah Valley University has decided to proceed without a featured commencement speaker for this years ceremony," according to Fox News. The decision follows weeks of mounting criticism from conservatives, students, and community members who argued that inviting McMahon dishonored Kirks memory and ignored the pain still felt by many on campus.
McMahons own words, posted shortly after the killing, fueled the backlash. Days after Kirk was killed, McMahon wrote on X, "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."
The now-deleted social media post, sent two days after Kirks death, also included a pair of quotes that many Kirk supporters said were taken out of context. "It's important to remember that the incredible tragedy of a public assassination does not erase the harm many experienced from his words, and the ensuing actions his followers took," McMahon wrote.
Kirk, 31, was shot in the neck while speaking at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10 during a public event sponsored by the campus chapter of Turning Point USA. His assassination shocked conservatives nationwide and underscored growing concerns about political violence directed at right-of-center voices, even as President Trumps second administration continues to emphasize law and order and free speech protections.
The universitys choice of McMahon as commencement speaker months after the killing quickly became a flashpoint in Utah politics.
Former Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz blasted the move as a "horrific choice," reflecting a broader sentiment that the school had turned its back on students who admired Kirks unapologetically conservative message.
Turning Point spokesperson Andrew Kolvet said he was "shocked and disappointed" that the school selected McMahon. "I just felt it was in really bad taste," Kolvet told Fox News Digital on Wednesday, before McMahon's speech was canceled.
"It feels cold-hearted," he continued. "It feels unnecessary, and I really hope that they change course, change direction and pick somebody more suitable for the time." Kolvet called it "really disrespectful" to students who are still grieving the loss of Kirk, and to others who are "traumatized" by the horrific killing.
Turning Point USA chapter president at Utah Valley University Caleb Chilcutt called the selection of McMahon a "slap to the face" Monday on "Fox & Friends." Kolvet did not immediately respond when asked for comment on the school canceling the commencement speech.
A spokesperson for McMahon declined comment as the controversy intensified. Her team previously dismissed the notion that she celebrated Kirks death, telling Utah outlets that she "unequivocally condemned the murder of Charlie Kirk, repeatedly and publicly, calling his death a tragedy and stressing that public debate must never be met with violence."
Tyler Robinson, a Utah man, was arrested on suspicion of killing Kirk and faces seven charges, including aggravated murder. He faces the death penalty if convicted, a reminder that while campus administrators debate speaker lineups, the justice system is still grappling with the ultimate question of accountability for the assassination of a prominent conservative leader.
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