A University of California, Irvine lecturer appeared to endorse violence against conservative activist Nick Shirley ahead of his scheduled appearance Wednesday before the Harvard Republicans.
The remarks are drawing attention to campus political rhetoric surrounding Shirley, whose investigations and viral videos have made him a prominent conservative voice online.
“In the comments of the Harvard Republican Club’s recent Instagram post announcing Nick Shirley’s visit to campus, UC Irvine and Chapman lecturer Matthew Goldman appears to endorse a potential act of violence against Shirley, just before the one-year anniversary of Charlie Kirk’s assassination,” Yard Report reported Tuesday.
In screenshots shared by Yard Report, Goldman appeared to comment on the Harvard Republican Club’s Instagram post about the Wednesday event scheduled for 6 p.m., writing, “Someone can do the funniest thing just before the Kirkiversary.”
Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University during his American Comeback Tour. Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of his death.
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Another comment appearing to have been posted by Goldman on the Harvard Republican Club’s Instagram post read, “Lmao abolish ICE. only good ICE agent is a dead one.”
Goldman has since set his accounts to private, and his biography page on UC Irvine’s website appears to have been taken down. According to a screenshot of Goldman’s LinkedIn shared by Yard Report, Goldman also listed himself as a lecturer at Chapman University.
His UC Irvine bio listed him as a “composition lecturer,” and says, “Students have described Matthew as ‘quite the gem,’ ‘funny,’ ‘slay,’ and ‘bald.’ He believes that anything you do in the classroom should have a purpose outside of the classroom, which forms the foundation of his teaching philosophy. He also believes that people learn more effectively when they are having fun, which makes up I guess the first floor of his teaching philosophy? He’s still trying to figure out what the roof is made of, and if there is a top floor.”
Another Instagram post appearing to be from Goldman’s account which was screenshotted and shared by Yard Report was a Dec. 9, 2024, post of a photo of the character Luigi from Mario Brothers pointing a gun at Brian Thompson, the UnitedHealthcare CEO allegedly assassinated by Luigi Mangione in New York City on Dec. 4, 2024.
Goldman’s post read, “Let’s not pretend as if America isn’t the greatest country on earth.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesman for Chapman University said, “Chapman University is aware of the concerning reports regarding Matt Goldman and takes this issue very seriously. Mr. Goldman is not currently on campus or teaching at Chapman. In keeping with standard employment practices, we cannot provide any further information.”
The Harvard Republican Club told Fox News Digital in a statement, “One year after Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Matt Goldman’s comment is the latest example of the left’s ongoing and shameless normalization of political violence. Rhetoric like this, often promoted from within universities like UC Irvine, is why we need bomb squads at our events. The young right will not back down from its efforts to expose the fraud in our nation.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Shirley, UC Irvine and Goldman for comment.
