Joe Walsh: Macklemore "didn't just say free Palestine"
Joe WalshFormer U.S. Representative (R-IL); political commentator
Joe Walsh disputed the framing that Macklemore's on-stage remarks were limited to the phrase "free Palestine," saying he said more than that and that it was offensive to some people, while defending both Macklemore's right to say it and Kraft's right to exclude him over it.
“Macklemore didn't just say free Palestine. He did more than that... a reason why a lot of folks got upset... Maybe not offensive to you, but offensive to some people. You'd acknowledge that or no?”
Original video
Where this statement fits
Macklemore’s “Free Palestine” speech and removal from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour
At two Ed Sheeran concerts at MetLife Stadium, Macklemore called for a free Palestine, accused Israel of apartheid and genocide, and said criticism of Israel was not criticism of Jewish people. After venue objections, tour promoter Messina Touring Group said he would not perform the remaining U.S. Loop Tour dates. Critics characterized the performance as hostile or inappropriate; Macklemore defended it as a call for equal treatment.
Source and context
Original video
About this source
Full 1:03:44 episode published to the Piers Morgan Uncensored YouTube channel on September 16, 2026. The episode description lists the panel as Ana Kasparian, Wajahat Ali, Joe Walsh and Luai Ahmed, with former Israeli prime ministers Ehud Olmert and Naftali Bennett appearing later. Morgan hands to Ali at 23:30; Ali speaks without interruption until 26:12, moving from a defence of Macklemore and criticism of Robert Kraft and Ed Sheeran into the argument that the episode marks a generational and cultural turn against Israel. Morgan replies at 26:14 that Israel's popularity has been "consistently plunging." The quoted wording is our transcription of the video audio. Ali's characterisations of Israel's conduct and of public opinion are his own.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Said as a panelist on the September 16, 2026 episode of Piers Morgan Uncensored, in response to Ana Kasparian's defense of Macklemore.
After the quotation
Walsh also said: "I'll defend Macklemore's right to say what he wanted to say. Every bit as strongly as I'll defend Bob Kraft's right to have whoever he wants to have play at his venue."
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Walsh disputes Ana Kasparian's characterization that Macklemore merely said an innocuous "free Palestine," asserting he said more and that it upset and offended people. He does not go on to personally condemn Macklemore's conduct -- he explicitly defends Macklemore's right to have said it, framing the dispute as a free-speech and property-rights question for all parties rather than rendering his own verdict on the content.
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- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Macklemore
More from this case
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Jewish Voice for Peace says the backlash to Macklemore's removal shows support for pro-Palestine speech
Jewish Voice for Peace
“Two years into Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestine organizing, the backlash against Sheeran shows how little patience Americans have for attacks on pro-Palestine speech. It also demonstrates the shift toward support for Palestinian rights among everyday Americans that our movements have helped propel.”Read statement
Macklemore announces "Free Palestine Tour" after removal from U.S. dates
“To push back when the call for a Free Palestine is met with attempts to silence it.”Read statement
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Joe Walsh: Macklemore "didn't just say free Palestine"
- First published
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/1000-joe-walsh-disputed-the-framing-that-macklemore-s
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Joe Walsh: Macklemore "didn't just say free Palestine"". First published: 2026-09-18. Last updated: 2026-09-18. https://disputeindex.com/events/1000-joe-walsh-disputed-the-framing-that-macklemore-s