PROVO, Utah (ABC4) — Opposition has grown at Utah Valley University in the days since the school announced the chosen commencement speaker for the class of 2026.

Utah Valley University (UVU) announced New York Times bestselling author, Sharon McMahon, as the 2026 commencement speaker. She has been selected as the keynote speaker for the annual commencement ceremony and is also set to receive an honorary Doctor of Education degree.

“Sharon McMahon is an original. She is a force of nature and a force for good… Sharon’s work reminds us of the power we each hold, and that every individual is mighty in some way,” UVU President Astrid S. Tuminez said in a statement.

McMahon is widely known for her newsletter and podcast titled “The Preamble,” which shares “fact-based,” nonpartisan insights on history, government, and current events.

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The university’s announcement was met with strong opposition from UVU students, all who drew attention to a set of posts made by McMahon in the days after the assassination of prominent republican political activist Charlie Kirk.

Students allege that some of the threads have been taken down, however, one of the thread responses was a series of Charlie Kirk quotes and is still up on McMahon’s account.

She framed the post as an explanation for “why there is so much backlash to posts eulogizing his death.” The posts list quotes that Kirk allegedly said followed by McMahon’s interpretation of the quotes.

“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’s post reads.

Caleb Chilcutt, President of Turning Point USA at UVU, issued a statement opposing the university’s decision.

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The UVU College Republicans issued a similar statement, also speaking out in opposition of McMahon’s presence on campus.

ABC4 has reached out to McMahon for a comment but has not heard back.

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