UVU Cancels Commencement Speaker Amid Controversy
Producers of “The Charlie Kirk Show” criticized Utah Valley University (UVU) for revoking the invitation to author Sharon McMahon as their commencement speaker. They argued that this decision had upset supporters of Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot on campus.
On Thursday, UVU announced, “In light of rising safety concerns concerning speakers, and after consulting with public safety experts and Sharon McMahon, Utah Valley University has opted to go without a featured commencement speaker this year.”
This announcement displeased the show’s co-hosts, Andrew Corbett and Blake Neff.
“The tricky part,” Neff remarked, “is that they’re not admitting they chose a bad speaker. They’re highlighting ‘increased safety concerns.'” He continued, stating their decision implies blame for an act of intimidation. “Regardless, it’s a speaker they should have skipped. There weren’t any threats from this show or anywhere else.”
Corbett echoed this sentiment, agreeing it was a poor decision and humorously said, “Hallelujah.”
No immediate comment was available from UVU representatives.
Previously, the decision to invite McMahon raised eyebrows following her criticism of Kirk shortly after his assassination, where she wrote, “Millions feel harmed, and this horrendous murder won’t erase the words and actions.” Furthermore, a now-deleted post days after his death included remarks that many supporters of Kirk believed were misinterpreted.
She stated, “Even the tragic event of his public assassination doesn’t erase the harm felt by many from his words and the actions of his supporters.”
McMahon’s selection as a speaker had already drawn backlash from Kirk’s followers. A spokesperson for her did not provide a comment but had asserted that she condemned Kirk’s murder and urged that violence should never be a part of public debate.
Kirk was attending an event organized by Turning Point USA when he was killed on September 10. Tyler Robinson, charged with several crimes, including aggravated murder, may face the death penalty if found guilty.
