The University of Washington’s planned Turning Points USA event with Chloe Cole was postponed Tuesday night after days of criticism from students who objected to the appearance so soon after a fatal stabbing involving a 19-year-old transgender student in the campus community.
UW spokesperson Victor Balta said in an email that his understanding was that the national TPUSA organization had decided to cancel the May 13 event, which was billed as a “Pick Up the Mic” appearance with Cole and produced with the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. Cole later made the postponement public near 8 p.m. Seattle time, saying on Instagram that the event would not go ahead as scheduled.
On campus, the reaction had been blunt and immediate. One student wrote that, “Considering your group’s hateful rhetoric surrounding transgender individuals may have contributed to a violent death in our community, I would say postponing or cancelling this event is the only appropriate response,” while another Instagram commenter said, “A trans student was murdered last night, please cancel this event,” as outrage grew over the university’s decision to keep the booking in place.
The backlash followed the discovery Sunday evening of the victim’s body in the laundry room of Nordheim Court, an off-campus student apartment complex affiliated with the university. The person’s identity had not yet been released by the University of Washington or Seattle police pending notification of next of kin, though Detective Eric Muñoz initially said the victim was “believed to be a 19-year-old transgender female.”
University President Robert J. Jones said Monday that investigators had not yet identified a suspect or a motive, and he said the Division of Student Life was reaching out to students affected and providing support and resources. Jones added that, “While investigators have not yet identified a suspect or a motive, I want to recognize that when violence affects a trans person it can be especially worrying to our LGBTQIA+ community members,” and said, “Our Division of Student Life is reaching out to students affected and providing support and resources to help them through this very difficult ordeal.”
Cole, a right-wing detransitioner who actively opposes access to gender-affirming care, framed the postponement differently. Near 8 p.m. Seattle time, she blamed a “local militia” formed by “antifa,” said the organization’s security team and police department would be “unprepared” for the event, and wrote, “Thank you guys for staying strong through the pressure and keeping the event going” before adding, “I’m excited to be there tomorrow.” She then said, “Before Charlie Kirk’s assassination, I think I would have been less careful,” and, “But times have changed and speaking on a university campus in 2026 can come with deadly consequences.”
The turnabout leaves UW where it began this week: under pressure from students, with a divisive campus event pulled from the calendar after a killing that has unsettled the community. The university has not said more about whether the appearance will be rescheduled, and the immediate question now is not whether the event can be safely staged, but whether UW wants it back at all.
