Student outraged over ‘cowardly’ and ‘inoffensive’ commencement speaker Kermit the Frog

Some University of Maryland (UMD) students are expressing outrage that commencement speaker Kermit the Frog will not give a politically charged speech at graduation on Thursday.

Kermit was announced as the speaker in March as a nod to Muppets creator Jim Henson, who graduated from UMD in 1960 with a degree in Home Economics. One student complained that the puppet was a “cowardly” choice by the university and that Kermit’s speech would be “inoffensive, uplifting and milquetoast by design” despite a tumultuous time for universities and PBS under the Trump administration, according to an opinion column published by the UMD student newspaper The Diamondback.

“The truth is that Kermit is a fun but safe choice for a speaker in a time that demands anything but,” Rohin Mishra, a 2025 graduate, wrote. “A fictional character won’t go off-script, nor will they have to deal with any real-world issues.”

Mishra and The Diamondback did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

The student complained that Kermit probably “won’t even touch” issues of the Trump administration, such as the revocation of student visas, universities having their funding revoked for noncompliance with civil rights laws and a freeze on federal employment.

While other students reportedly saw the choice as “goofy,” many appreciated the lighthearted and uniqueness, according to an earlier Diamondback article.

Henson first made the frog puppet in 1955 out of an old coat, pair of jeans and a ping pong ball, according to the National Museum of American History. A bronze statue of Henson and Kermit memorializes the creator on campus following his death in 1990.

“Kermit the Frog, a star of stage, screen and swamp, has spent his entire career dedicated to this simple dream: ‘I want to sing and dance and make people happy. It’s the kind of dream that gets better the more people you share it with,’” the university said in the commencement speaker announcement. “Since 1955, this famous frog has shared that dream with people – as well as pigs, bears, chickens, and whatevers.”

“[T]his year’s commencement speaker, an international superstar and best-selling author who – in many ways – got his start right here on our campus,” UMD president Darryll J. Pines said in an announcement in March. “We are honored that he will share his insights with our graduating class, their families, and friends.”

Pines described Henson as “A home economics major with an eye for innovation” and said choosing the speaker “honors the long history between the University of Maryland” and Henson.

UMD did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment. Neither did Kermit himself, nor his ex-fiance, Miss Piggy.

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