- Sharon McMahon will not speak at UVU's April 29 commencement following GOP backlash and "increased safety concerns."
- Criticism arose from perceived insensitive posts after Charlie Kirk's killing at UVU.
- McMahon condemned the killing publicly; UVU cites safety concerns for speaker removal.
OREM — Amid strong outcry from some of Utah's GOP, Utah Valley University on Thursday announced Sharon McMahon will not serve as the commencement speaker at the university's ceremony on April 29.
"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 Thursday.
"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 criticism surrounding the selection of McMahon stemmed from what some perceived to be inconsiderate social media posts made by McMahon — commonly referred to as "America's government teacher" — in the aftermath of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk being shot and killed while speaking on UVU's campus.
How it happened
Almost immediately after UVU announced last month that McMahon would give the keynote address at the university's commencement ceremony, prominent members of Utah's Republican Party mobilized, asking her not to speak or demanding that UVU rescind her invitation.
Utah Sen. Mike Lee alleged McMahon "defamed Charlie Kirk in the days immediately following his horrific murder on UVU campus."
UVU couldn't even wait a year before scheduling a commencement speaker who defamed Charlie Kirk in the days immediately following his horrific murder on UVU campus https://t.co/5Ft3Vj1CLS
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) April 11, 2026
It was just one of a handful of X posts Lee made about the situation.
Utah Rep. Celeste Maloy took to X Tuesday to call the selection of McMahon a "tone-deaf decision."
I am disappointed in UVU's tone-deaf decision.
— Celeste Maloy (@CelesteMaloyUT) April 14, 2026
A commencement should bring a campus together, and UVU needs that more than ever. With the tragedy from this past year in the minds of faculty and students alike, our focus should be on providing an opportunity for students of all…
"UVU should reverse course and choose a speaker who will unite the student body and reflect the mood of students and faculty," Maloy continued.
On April 9, Caleb Chilcutt, president of UVU's Turning Point USA chapter, released a statement condemning the selection.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
— TPUSAatUVU (@TPUSAatUVU) April 9, 2026
Turning Point USA at UVU firmly opposes the university's decision to platform Sharon following Charlie's assassination.
Chapter President Caleb Chilcutt issued the following statement regarding this situation. pic.twitter.com/ezGfBadwNB
"While universities should welcome diverse viewpoints, platforming someone who treated a historic and tragic political assassination not as a moment to grieve but as an opportunity to create content is tone-deaf and disrespectful to those still affected, especially on this campus," Chilcutt said.
Much of the ire seemingly traces back to a now-deleted social media post McMahon made two days after Kirk was shot and killed at UVU, where McMahon criticized some aspects of Kirk's rhetoric.
In the post, McMahon said, "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."
But in a Facebook post from Sept. 10, 2025 — the day of the shooting — McMahon condemned the act, saying, "This isn't the kind of America I want to live in."
"I am sure Charlie Kirk and I would not agree on many things. And my heart is still broken for his family," McMahon wrote in the caption of the post.
Her team also pushed back against any notion that McMahon condoned or celebrated Kirk's killing.
In a statement provided to KSL on Wednesday, a spokesperson for McMahon said 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."
This story will be updated.
