UVU to feature commencement speaker who smeared Charlie Kirk after his assassination

Utah Valley University has announced its 2026 commencement speaker, Sharon McMahon, who smeared Charlie Kirk two days after his assassination in September last year. 

McMahon was praised by UVU in the March 26 announcement as someone who has "dedicated her time and efforts to breaking down topics in civics, history, and current events with nonpartisan explanations to help empower informed discussions." 



However, on September 12, just two days following Kirk's assassination, McMahon smeared Kirk with several quotes taken out of context in an attempt to characterize him as a racist with "bigoted ideas" that he spread "on a stage that reached tens of millions." 

Although she deleted the Instagram post about Kirk, a Threads post with her comments is still up. "These aren’t sound bites taken out of context. Millions of people feel they were harmed, and the murder that was horrific and should never have happened does not magically erase what was said or done," McMahon said to caption the post. 



One of the quotes that McMahon claimed was "in context" that she cited was that Kirk had previously said in a previous podcast: "If I see a black pilot, I'm going to be like, 'Boy I hope he's qualified.'" 

McMahon said that this quote "in context" of what Kirk said, "casts suspicion on all black professionals, not just individuals, and sounds like he automatically views black Americans as less intelligent or less educated."

However, the very seconds after that quote—actually in context—Kirk stated, "That's not who I am, that's not what I believe," and then explained that only when airline companies, such as United, are trying to reach quotas for diversity, that would be the conclusion some would come to. "The CEO said he's forcing that a white qualified guy is not gonna get the job. So I see this guy, he might be a nice person, I say, 'boy, I hope he's not a Harvard-style affirmative action student," Kirk added. 

He then said that having those thoughts is "unhealthy thinking patterns" stemming from the impacts of DEI policies that "no one should" have. 

Caleb Chilcutt, the president of the TPUSA chapter at UVU, told The Post Millennial, "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. 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."

"There are countless better alternatives, and the fact 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 at such a hurtful and calloused decision," he added. 

Although McMahon claims to be "non-partisan," she consistently posts left-leaning talking points with her social media posts, including those that targeted Kirk. Some also include allegations of "book bans" talking points, where conservatives have wanted to shield children from sexualized content. In another, she advocated against voter ID, a left-wing position on the matter. 

Utah Valley University's commencement ceremony is taking place on April 29. Tyler Robinson, who has been charged with Kirk’s murder, is standing trial in Utah and faces capital punishment.