BREAKING: UVU cancels commencement address ‘due to increased safety concerns’ after backlash against featured speaker’s smear of Charlie Kirk

In an email sent out to students, UVU claimed that the cancellation was due to security reasons. "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 email stated.

"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 school added.

Criticism surrounding McMahon stemmed from a post that she made two days after Kirk was assassinated, where she took quotes from Kirk that she claimed were "in context" and said that "millions of people feel they were harmed" by Kirk's words.

“To many Americans, especially if you are Black, LGBTQ or Muslim, Charlie Kirk was not a person who simply engaged in good-faith debates on college campuses,” she said in the post. Although McMahon said she took time to “understand his quotes in context," there were multiple quotes that appeared to be taken out of context.

In one example, McMahon said that Kirk said, "If I see a Black pilot, I'm gonna be like, 'Boy, I hope he's qualified." She did not provide the context to this quote, where in the next breath Kirk said, "That's not who I am, that's not what I believe."

When the school initially introduced McMahon as the upcoming speaker, UVU said that she has "gained national attention online by breaking down varying topics in civics, history, and current events with nonpartisan explanations." However, some pointed to leftwing posts and activism McMahon has been engaged in opposing the claim that she has been nonpartisan.

One Utah-based X user said in a post on the topic, "UVU told us commencement speaker Sharon McMahon was 'non-partisan' and 'a force for good.' Here she is mocking Republican concerns about election security, and lying about both the intent and effects of addressing these concerns."

Leading up to the event, several Utah lawmakers called on UVU to reverse course.

Senator Mike Lee said, "UVU: you’re better than this Just find another speaker Don’t rub salt into the wounds of a grieving community."

Rep. Burgess Owens said in a post to X, "Utah Valley University’s decision to hand its commencement stage to Sharon McMahon is not just wrong. It is morally bankrupt. On a campus still scarred by the murder of Charlie Kirk, UVU has chosen a speaker who, in that moment of national grief, could not muster the basic decency to honor a life lost. Instead, she chose to diminish it. That is not leadership. It is arrogance, self-righteousness, and condescension posing as virtue."

Rep. Celeste Maloy also sounded off against the choice, "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 political beliefs to come together and celebrate their achievements. UVU should reverse course and choose a speaker who will unite the student body and reflect the mood of students and faculty."

Rep. Mike Kennedy also called on UVU to reverse course. "Commencement should bring people together. This decision leans into divisiveness and elevates someone who chose to double down on that division. That’s not thoughtful and it’s not appropriate for an event marking a happy, major milestone in these students’ lives. UVU still has a chance to make this right for the students and families who deserve it and I hope they do," he said.

Many other local and state lawmakers in Utah made similar calls, however, Utah Governor Spencer Cox has not made a public statement on the matter.

UVU Turning Point USA President Caleb Chilcutt told The Post Millennial in a statement reacting to the decision, "As President of Turning Point USA at Utah Valley University, I want to express my deep appreciation to every student, alumni, faculty member, and community leader who raised their voice and stood firm in calling for Sharon McMahon to step down as our 2026 commencement speaker. We disavow violence and threats of violence in all forms. Sharon McMahon was an inappropriate speaker to begin with, and there are still better options available for this year’s commencement speaker — someone who can truly bring unity and celebration to the Class of 2026 rather than controversy."

"Our graduation ceremony should be a time of celebration and unity for the graduates and their families — not a moment overshadowed by controversy, division, or pushing a political agenda. The swift response from the UVU campus community, including our conservative leaders across Utah, demonstrated that when students speak up with clarity and conviction, real change is possible. This outcome is a victory for common sense and for keeping the focus where it belongs: on the hard work and achievements of the Class of 2026. Thank you to everyone who organized, advocated, and refused to stay silent. Your efforts made a difference. We look forward to a commencement that truly honors our graduates without distraction. Proud to serve the UVU community," he added.

UVU will not have a commencement speaker at the event slated for April 29.