Utah Valley University said it will no longer have a featured speaker at its April 29 commencement after pushback from conservative groups, citing safety concerns tied to the situation.
The school had invited author and podcaster Sharon McMahon, but the choice quickly became controversial among some students and outside organizations. Much of the criticism centered on comments McMahon made following the killing of Charlie Kirk last year. In a short statement released Thursday, UVU said it would move forward with the ceremony without a keynote speaker.
“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. It added that the focus would remain on celebrating what it described as its largest graduating class, with more than 13,400 students earning degrees, including many who are the first in their families to graduate from college.
Not everyone was satisfied with how the situation was handled. Caleb Chilcutt, president of the university’s Turning Point USA chapter, said McMahon should not have been selected in the first place and argued there were better options available. He also accused her of misrepresenting Kirk in posts made after his death.
On The Charlie Kirk Show, producer Blake Neff and Turning Point USA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet welcomed the decision but took issue with the university’s explanation.
Sharon McMahon will no longer be speaking at UVU’s commencement. https://t.co/UPUDrOoBhd pic.twitter.com/ELkn4Vi5f0
— TPUSAatUVU (@TPUSAatUVU) April 16, 2026
Neff said the school avoided acknowledging what critics saw as a poor choice, instead pointing to safety concerns. Kolvet echoed that sentiment, saying no threats had been made and that criticism of the speaker had been limited to public disagreement.
McMahon had condemned the killing of Kirk on the day it happened. However, a later Instagram post drew attention from critics. In that post, she argued that acknowledging the tragedy did not erase what she described as harm caused by Kirk’s rhetoric and the actions of some of his supporters.
That message prompted backlash from conservative figures, including Senator Mike Lee of Utah. In a post on X, Lee questioned whether the university would have made the same decision if the political roles were reversed, suggesting the choice reflected a double standard.
Neither McMahon nor Turning Point USA immediately responded to requests for additional comment. The university, for its part, appears to be trying to shift attention back to the graduates themselves as commencement approaches.
