Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) had one simple message for Ed Sheeran after rapper Macklemore was removed from the British singer-songwriter’s “Loop” tour for making pro-Palestinian comments during a concert.
She plans to change the channel whenever Sheeran’s music comes on the radio.
Ocasio-Cortez also took the opportunity to condemn New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, whom Macklemore claims was the catalyst for his ousting from the tour.
“When you see what Robert Kraft did to line up all of the stadiums to censor speech in that one specific way, it’s become clear that this is not just about one music artist or two music artists, but this is about how just a handful of stadium owners and the elite can prevent an entire massive issue, in this case, the genocide in Gaza,” she said.
Ocasio-Cortez added that the situation could become a slippery slope toward censoring any artist who speaks out about any issue.
Regarding Sheeran’s role in the controversy, Ocasio-Cortez said she thinks the right thing for him to do is speak out about the issue, but acknowledged she wasn’t privy to any contractual obligations he may have.
Earlier Tuesday, Sheeran posted on social media that it wasn’t his decision to drop Macklemore from the tour, and said he was not complicit in the Israel-Palestine conflict and has his own views on the issue:
Macklemore’s removal from the tour stemmed from the rapper exclaiming “Free Palestine” during a concert at MetLife Stadium earlier this month. He has been outspoken about Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian people since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, even penning the song “Hind’s Hall” in honor of Hind Rajab, a 5-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed by the Israeli military in 2024.
In response to Macklemore’s ousting, all remaining opening acts on the tour, including Sheeran’s own backing band, announced they’d leave in solidarity.
Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP, File
In a statement on Monday to multiple outlets, Kraft claimed his decision to ban Macklemore from the stadium was based on his recent comments “and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.”
The statement did not address Macklemore’s claims that Kraft “rallied” other stadium owners to drop him from the tour.
Numerous organizations and experts, including a United Nations Commission of Inquiry, have declared that Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to a genocide.