FBI Advised Pat McAfee to Wear Bulletproof Vest After Charlie Kirk Assassination, Report Claims

The FBI advised ESPN personality Pat McAfee to wear a bulletproof vest in the days following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, according to a report. The recommendation came after McAfee expressed discomfort with his experience at the University of Utah's College GameDay broadcast, where he alluded to Kirk's murder at Utah Valley University.

McAfee documented a negative encounter at the University of Utah on a recent episode of his show. He stated he felt uncomfortable walking in front of crowds after the university's social media accounts posted content criticizing him. A video, reportedly from the Utah Student Experience Instagram page and since deleted, featured students calling McAfee "corny" and "creepy."

"The University puts that out, like as I'm about to go out and do an infomercial for the place, and then I'm walking in front of thousands of these people," McAfee said on his show. "This is how the University feels about it. It's an uncomfortable feeling."

He then referenced the 2025 murder of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, located approximately 45 miles south of the University of Utah's campus in Salt Lake City. McAfee urged Utah schools to avoid sharing divisive material.

"I thought to myself, has anything like really scary happened at a college gathering in the state of Utah recently?" McAfee asked. "Like, do we think we should be amplifying reasons for why people hate my guts as a University?"

The University of Utah has since issued a public apology to McAfee and the ESPN crew. A university spokesperson stated that while their goal was "lighthearted engagement," they "missed the mark." The university acknowledged accountability for the social media content and expressed regret for any perception that McAfee was unsafe or unwelcome on campus, emphasizing that he and the College GameDay crew are always welcome.

McAfee is known to receive threatening messages on social media and often exposes individuals posting such threats. His broadcasts on College GameDay often take place in front of large crowds on college campuses across the United States.

An ESPN spokeswoman affirmed the network's commitment to safety. "The safety and security of our on-air team, crew and fans is paramount at College GameDay," the spokeswoman said. "We are committed to ensuring a safe environment, and given the very real threats that members of our team face, we take issues involving their safety seriously. We support Pat and recognize the very real and valid concerns he has around safety and security."