@sharonsaysso: This isn’t about my right to deliver a commencement address. If I was invited by a private organization for a conference and they decided to back out, that’s their call, and there aren’t any free speech issues. The issue is that this is the GOVERNMENT — members of Congress and members of the Utah state legislature — collaborating with Turning Point USA to engage in a coercive pressure campaign to threaten the school’s funding if I wasn’t canceled, based on my viewpoint. That is what makes it a free speech issue, the government trying to control what kind of speech is “approved.” This coercive pressure campaign then turned into a serious security issue, as a result of the actions of government officials and TPUSA. (Bear in mind I’ve spoken at this college twice before and it was an excellent experience, which is why they asked me back.) My speech at commencement was going to be hopeful and encouraging. And state and federal lawmakers — and a powerful organization with close ties to both — decided to turn it into something else entirely.

Sharon McMahon

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Saturday 25 April 2026 01:18:48 GMT