“Security Issues” Cited As Reason University Drops Commencement Speaker Who Criticized Charlie Kirk
The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever
iHeartPodcasts
4.3 • 3.7K Ratings
🗓️ 18 April 2026
⏱️ 25 minutes
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Summary
Utah Valley University has announced it will no longer have a commencement speaker, citing security concerns, after an outcry from Republican lawmakers and some students. UVU is the very campus where Charlie Kirk was assassinated last September and the planned speaker made public comments critical of Kirk in the days following his murder. Author and podcaster Sharon McMahon defended herself, saying she “unequivocally condemned” the murder of Kirk and brings together voices from across the political aisle.
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| 0:27.6 | Come for the honesty. |
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| 0:35.1 | Hey there, folks. |
| 0:36.0 | It is Saturday, April 18th, and Utah Valley University, the site of the death of Charlie Kirk. |
| 0:43.2 | Well, they were set to have their commencement this month, but they just dropped plans for a commencement speaker. |
| 0:51.2 | And the reasons are, well, a bit unclear. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and |
| 0:56.6 | T.J. Robs. I say unclear. It's clear to some, not so much to other. I guess what's the real answer |
| 1:03.4 | as to why Utah Valley University, and this would have been a big one, Robes, the first commencement |
| 1:08.1 | since that assassination on their campus. But now they |
| 1:11.2 | said, nope, we're not going to have a speaker. Yes, because the speaker that they chose, her name |
| 1:15.5 | might not be a household one. Her name is Susan McMahon. She's commonly referred to as |
... |
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