‘It’s Been Like Pulling Teeth’: Ben Shapiro Speech At UPenn In Limbo

A planned campus appearance by Daily Wire host Ben Shapiro at the University of Pennsylvania has become mired in what organizers describe as months of bureaucratic delays, opaque security demands, and shifting administrative hurdles that now threaten to derail the event entirely.

In an interview with The Daily Wire, Sara Carr, a vice president at the Adam Smith Society, said the group has spent months navigating what she described as an inconsistent and slow-moving approval process that varies by venue and lacks clear guidance. “It’s been like pulling teeth with this administration,” she said.

According to second-year Wharton MBA student Colin Duffy, who serves as president of the university’s Adam Smith Society chapter, the talk is scheduled for April 14 at the Penn Museum. Duffy told The Daily Pennsylvanian that Shapiro and his team are “fully confirmed.”

A University Life spokesperson said the approval process had been complicated by changes to the scope of the event.

“The Adam Smith Society has been working with University Life, DPS, and the MBA Office of Student Life as part of the University’s established process for planning campus events and obtaining contract signatures,” the spokesperson said. “The scope of the proposed event has changed several times, each of which requires a new review to ensure appropriate planning and resource allocation.”

“At this time, the group has not completed the required steps to obtain a cost estimate and move the event forward,” the statement continued.

Duffy disputed that characterization, saying the group has been working with the university since the fall and accused the university of putting up “roadblocks” in the process.

“The contract has been ready on our end for some time,” Duffy said, adding that organizers have concerns about what they describe as unclear and potentially “uncapped, vague” security costs. He said the group would “not agree” to such terms.

Carr said the group requested comparable cost estimates for similar events but did not receive them from the university’s public safety officials.

Organizers say the process has dragged on for months longer than organizers initially anticipated. “It’s been a slog the whole way through,” she said. “From August to December, we didn’t appreciate the level of restrictions” the group would ultimately face.

According to Duffy, the event, co-hosted with Young America’s Foundation, would feature a speech by Shapiro followed by a question-and-answer session focused on the ideas promoted by the Adam Smith Society, which aims to foster debate on the moral, social, and economic benefits of capitalism.

Duffy said organizers initially planned to open the event to the public but agreed to limit attendance to members of the Penn community.

“We intended to open the event to the public to advance Penn’s mission of open inquiry and intellectual diversity while reinforcing Penn’s stated commitment to combating antisemitism by hosting a prominent Jewish public intellectual in an academic setting,” Duffy said.

Carr indicated that time constraints could ultimately determine whether the event moves forward at all. “The viability of the event is almost entirely dictated by time,” she said, suggesting delays, rather than security costs, may be the primary obstacle.

University officials have not indicated whether Shapiro’s speech will move forward as planned.

The Daily Wire reached out to the offices of Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA), Dave McCormick (R-PA), and Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) for comment but did not receive responses.