Jon Lovett on Kraft: “the best way to fight anti-Semitism is for a Jewish billionaire to join forces with a cabal of other wealthy stadium operators”
Jon LovettHost of the podcast Lovett or Leave It, in a scripted comedic monologue
In a satirical monologue, Jon Lovett attacked Robert Kraft’s role in pressing for Macklemore’s removal, speaking as a Jewish American, and separately called Ed Sheeran’s statement “embarrassing.” He treated Macklemore’s “Free Palestine” remark as unobjectionable.
“And as a Jewish American myself, thank you, Robert Kraft. The best way to fight anti-Semitism is for a Jewish billionaire to join forces with a cabal of other wealthy stadium operators to prevent audiences from hearing a pro-Palestinian statement by a performer largely regarded until now as a brand-safe version of f---ing Eminem.”
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
Weekly comedy and politics podcast, published 18 September 2026, running 1:03:42, with Hasan Piker as the interview guest. The opening monologue is satirical; the Piker interview is straightforward. The quoted wording is our transcription of the video audio. The episode’s own chapter markers identify the Macklemore and Ed Sheeran segment and the Piker interview.
Before the quotation
Part of a satirical news monologue recapping the removal of Macklemore from Ed Sheeran’s tour. The segment is comedy and much of it is joke construction rather than argument.
After the quotation
Lovett also played a clip of Fox News host Jesse Watters saying of the remark, “all I heard was free Palestine. I don’t think that’s hate speech.” That is Watters’s statement carried within this programme, not Lovett’s, and is not recorded here as Lovett’s position or as a capture of Watters.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
On Macklemore’s conduct in giving the speech, Lovett does not criticise Macklemore at all. His attack is directed at Robert Kraft, whom he holds responsible for pressing for the removal, and at Ed Sheeran, whose statement he calls embarrassing. Treating the “Free Palestine” remark as unobjectionable while condemning those who acted against it is an implicit defence of Macklemore’s conduct, which is how this case classifies statements of that shape. The passage is sarcastic: he thanks Kraft in order to attack him, and the record should not be read as praise.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Robert Kraft, Ed Sheeran
More from this case
Read the full caseMacklemore says the "billionaire class" should not decide "which voices are allowed on stage"
“What happened to me is bigger than one artist or one stage. When the billionaire class can decide which voices are allowed on stage and which ones are too dangerous to hear, everyone should be paying attention. So we're going on tour. All proceeds will benefit organizations supporting the Palestinian people and movement.”Read statement
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
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- Jon Lovett on Kraft: “the best way to fight anti-Semitism is for a Jewish billionaire to join forces with a cabal of other wealthy stadium operators”
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The Dispute Index. "Jon Lovett on Kraft: “the best way to fight anti-Semitism is for a Jewish billionaire to join forces with a cabal of other wealthy stadium operators”". First published: 2026-09-19. Last updated: 2026-09-25. https://disputeindex.com/events/1105-in-a-satirical-monologue-jon-lovett-attacked-robert