Utah Valley Cancels Charlie Kirk Critic After Backlash

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Utah Valley University (UVU), which recently came under fire for naming Charlie Kirk critic Sharon McMahon as its featured commencement speaker, has announced it will proceed without a keynote speaker, citing safety concerns.

The university released a statement Thursday addressing the reversal:

“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 year’s ceremony,” “We look forward to coming together as a community to celebrate UVU’s largest graduating class in history, with more than 13,400 graduates, about one-third of whom are the first in their families to graduate from college.”

The initial selection of McMahon drew sharp condemnation from students and community members, including Caleb Chilcutt, president of the UVU chapter of Turning Point USA. Chilcutt issued a strongly worded statement regarding the administration’s choice:

“Hours immediately after Charlie’s assassination, Sharon McMahon posted and now deleted series of out-of-context quotes from Charlie and an effort to tarnish his name and minimize a tragedy rather than offering condolences or condemning political violence.

While university should welcome, diverse, viewpoints, platforming, someone who treated historic and tragic political assassination, not as a moment agree, but as an opportunity to create content, his tone-deaf and disrespectful to those still affected, especially on this campus.

There are countless better alternatives, and the fact that the university is choosing McMahon is entirely disappointed all of us reeling from his loss. I couldn’t be more disappointed in this university for such a hurtful and callous decision.”

UVU is still grappling with the aftereffects of the Kirk assassination less than seven months after it took place. The perceived insensitivity of the university’s invitation suggests an administration significantly out of step with its student body and the broader community. Whether the cancellation was truly driven by safety concerns or was a response to the overwhelming public outcry, UVU—and its grieving campus—will undoubtedly be better off without McMahon’s appearance.

Don Irvine
Donald Irvine is the chairman of of Accuracy in Academia (AIA), a non-profit research group reporting on bias in education. Irvine follows his father’s legacy, Reed Irvine, to critically analyze the liberal media’s bias and brings over thirty years of media analysis experience. He has published countless blog posts and articles on media bias, in context of current events, and he has been interviewed by many news media outlets during his professional career. He currently hosts a livestream weekly show on AIA’s Facebook page which discusses current events. Irvine graduated from the University of Maryland and rose up the ranks to become chairman of Accuracy in Media until his transition to AIA. He resides in the suburbs around the nation’s capital and is a proud father and grandfather.