<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The university where Charlie Kirk was assassinated will not have a commencement speaker this year after facing backlash for choosing an author who criticized the popular conservative commentator shortly after his death. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Utah Valley University said Thursday it would proceed without a commencement speaker due to “safety concerns.” The decision follows <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/university-where-charlie-kirk-was-assassinated-taps-speaker-tied-to-sick-posts">criticism</a> over its selection of the so-called “non-partisan” author Sharon McMahon, who had previously called Kirk’s message harmful.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“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,” the university said in a statement. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">McMahon, who describes herself as “America’s government teacher,” posted a series of out-of-context quotes from Kirk after his death to explain why “there is so much backlash to posts eulogizing his death,” claiming that Kirk “was not a person who simply engaged in good-faith debates on college campuses” if you were black or Muslim.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Local outlets have </span><a href="https://kutv.com/news/local/backlash-at-uvu-follows-selection-of-speaker-tied-to-posts-about-charlie-kirk"><span style="font-weight: 400;">reported</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> on the posts, which have since been deleted from social media. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“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, according to a local CBS affiliate. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The selection of McMahon as a speaker garnered criticism from Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and the university’s Turning Point USA chapter. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Hours immediately after Charlie’s assassination, 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,” chapter president Caleb Chilcutt said.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“There are countless better alternatives, and the fact that the university is choosing McMahon is entirely disappointing to all of us still reeling from his loss. I couldn’t be more disappointed in this university for such a hurtful and callous decision,” he added.</span></p>
<p>Last week, the university <a href="https://www.deseret.com/politics/2026/04/08/uvu-commencement-speaker-sharon-mcmahon-controversy-charlie-kirk-comments/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Deseret News that McMahon’s selection had been “overwhelmingly positive” and “well received.”</p>

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University Where Charlie Kirk Was Assassinated Axes Speaker After Posts Ignite Backlash

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University Where Charlie Kirk Was Assassinated Axes Speaker After Posts Ignite Backlash