Pence won’t speak at Wisconsin Lutheran College commencement, cites Kenosha unrest
Wisconsin Lutheran College said Vice President Mike Pence won’t serve as the school’s commencement speaker Thursday after “careful consideration of the escalating events in Kenosha.”
The college, which is in Milwaukee, said it has chosen Rev. Mark Jeske of St. Marcus Lutheran Church as a substitute speaker for Saturday’s event. The commencement is not on campus; it’s at Franklin Field in Franklin.
The college said the change was a joint decision.
“Vice President Pence understands and supports Wisconsin Lutheran College’s decision to prioritize the safety and well-being of their students, and wishes the students well as they celebrate the accomplishment of graduating from college and as they embark on their next journey,” said Devin M. O’Malley, Pence’s spokesman.
Pence’s appearance had already caused some controversy.
When the college announced it last week, it said the selection was not an endorsement of a political party and “cannot” be viewed as a political event.
“We believe it is possible within our context to leave partisan politics at the door and to celebrate America, our freedoms, Christian servant leadership and our graduates’ immense accomplishments,” the statement said.
But more than 100 students and alumni signed a letter calling the invitation “blatantly inappropriate.”
“The mere invitation of a Vice President of an incredibly divisive and controversial ticket to speak in a swing state months before an election is ignorant and deceptive,” the letter said. “Speaking to young adults months before an election is a political move and not one that WLC can decide is apolitical.”
The alumni went so far as to express condolences to the college’s 2020 class.
“Your commencement ceremony should not have been infected by toxic politics,” they wrote. “You didn’t ask for this, and you should not have needed to ask for this not to happen. Controversial political figures need to stay out of our academic celebrations.”
Though not an official campaign stop, the speech would have brought Pence to Wisconsin days after the Republican National Convention, where the vice president touted “law and order.” Wisconsin is a key state the Republicans are trying to hold on to this November.
During his acceptance speech Wednesday night, Pence made reference to the unrest in Kenosha.
“Let me be clear: the violence must stop – whether in Minneapolis, Portland, or Kenosha,” Pence said. “Too many heroes have died defending our freedoms to see Americans strike each other down. We will have law and order on the streets of this country for every American of every race and creed and color.”
A college spokeswoman declined to comment Thursday beyond the official statement.
Kenosha has been in turmoil since Sunday, when Kenosha police officer Rusten Sheskey shot 29-year-old Jacob Blake seven times in the back. Protests have continued each day, and on Tuesday night a 17-year-old Illinois teen allegedly shot three people, two of them fatally.