Ari Emanuel criticizes Macklemore's MetLife speech in a Daily Show interview
Executive chair and chief executive officer of TKO Group Holdings and executive chairman of WME Group, in an interview on The Daily Show
“I don't think it was completely understanding the facts. And I think it was belittling to Jewish people, too.”
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
ClutchPoints report, published September 23, 2026, on Ari Emanuel's Daily Show remarks about the Ed Sheeran, Macklemore and Robert Kraft dispute. It quotes Jon Stewart's question and Emanuel's answer and notes that WME represents Macklemore.
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About this source
The Daily Show's posted video of Jon Stewart's interview with Ari Emanuel about his memoir, Roll the Calls. The exchange about Macklemore's speech comes near the 17-minute mark.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
Hyperallergic report, published September 23, 2026, on Emanuel's Daily Show interview on Monday, September 21. It quotes his remarks on Macklemore's speech and reports that WME represents Macklemore.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Original text
About this source
TKO Group Holdings' proxy statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Its biography of Emanuel gives his current roles at TKO and WME Group.
Before the quotation
Emanuel appeared on The Daily Show to discuss his memoir, Roll the Calls. Jon Stewart asked how he would handle the dispute involving Ed Sheeran, Macklemore and Robert Kraft, and Emanuel said he would sit down and talk with Macklemore.
After the quotation
ClutchPoints, citing Billboard, and Hyperallergic reported that WME, where Emanuel is executive chairman, represents Macklemore for North American bookings. Both noted that Emanuel did not mention this in the interview.
How this statement is classified
Case context: Macklemore’s “Free Palestine” speech and removal from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour
The label describes this statement’s response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case looks at Macklemore's speech at MetLife Stadium and the response to it. Asked whether what Macklemore said on stage was hate, Emanuel said it was not completely understanding the facts and was belittling to Jewish people. That is a direct criticism of what Macklemore said, so we labeled it Condemned rather than Challenged the characterization.
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- People and groups discussed
- Macklemore
Macklemore’s “Free Palestine” speech and removal from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour
Explore the case context, sources and public responses.
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Read the full case“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
“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
“To push back when the call for a Free Palestine is met with attempts to silence it.”Read statement