Canceling Ivanka Trump spurs backlash for Kansas college Donors are pushing Kansas’ higher education board to fire Wichita State University’s president after he canceled a virtual speech by Ivanka Trump for its technical school’s graduationIvanka Trump touts accomplishments in 1st year of WGDP initiative The Associated PressTOPEKA, Kan. -- Donors are pushing Kansas' higher education board to fire Wichita State University's president after he canceled a virtual speech by Ivanka Trump for its technical school's graduation. Students staged an impromptu rally Wednesday for Golden, and nearly 7,200 people had signed a petition supporting him by Wednesday night. A Koch Industries spokeswoman said Wednesday that financial commitments to the university are being honored and, while it opposes canceling speakers, it doesn't tie funding to university employment actions. The university has said Koch Industries and its associated foundations have spent or pledged to spend more than $15 million there in the past seven years. Parts of Wichita and its suburbs are politically conservative, and Donald Trump carried the county in 2016 by 18 percentage points.

Source: ABC News June 10, 2020 15:22 UTC