Congresswoman Celeste Maloy (UT-02) recently participated in Sutherland Institute’s 2025 Congressional Series, which is sponsored by Zions Bank and hosted by the University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics.
Following an event introduction from Sutherland’s Nic Dunn, Jason Perry, director of the Hinckley Institute, led the discussion with Rep. Maloy.
Perry artfully took the discussion format in a different direction than traditional series events, where he surveyed the audience with live questions, which he and Rep. Maloy would then discuss together.
The topics ranged from personal political involvement to the current events topic surrounding political violence.
“I can now say with a really high level of confidence that you guys are much more informed than the average member of the population,” Rep. Maloy said following a string of questions regarding student knowledge of the political landscape, including the federal government’s fiscal year calendar.
Addressing the recent tragic death of conservative political influencer, Charlie Kirk, Maloy and Perry gauged the room’s thoughts on political violence, rally attendance, and future political involvement.
“My fear right now, especially in light of Charlie Kirk being shot in Utah less than two weeks ago, is that people your age [college-aged] are going to pull back,” Maloy said. “Everyone who was there suddenly felt vulnerable. Everyone who watched it on TV, I think, felt a little vulnerable.”
Immediately following, Perry asked the audience how concerned they are about political violence in America, along with the safety of political rallies, to which 95% answered that they are concerned about political violence, while 50% said that they would feel somewhat safe personally attending a rally.
“I would hate to see people your age, and especially people who are already inclined to get involved in politics, back down and step away from involvement,” Maloy said. “Even though you have a feeling it’s not always safe, you would still feel safe attending a rally. That makes me feel a lot better.”
