AOC condemns Kraft for organizing Macklemore's removal, calls it censorship
U.S. Representative (D-NY)
“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.”
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
HuffPost report (republished on Yahoo) on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's September 15, 2026 comments condemning Robert Kraft's role in Macklemore's tour removal, embedding a video clip of her remarks posted by Acyn on X.
Before the quotation
Speaking to reporters on September 15, 2026, two days after Macklemore said he had been dropped from the tour.
After the quotation
She separately said she personally intends to change the channel whenever Sheeran's music plays, while saying she believes the right thing for Sheeran to do is speak out, though she is not privy to his contractual obligations.
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?
Ocasio-Cortez condemns Robert Kraft for organizing stadium owners to remove Macklemore, framing it as censorship of speech about Gaza, and adopts Macklemore's own characterization of the conflict as genocide -- a defense of Macklemore's advocacy and a condemnation of his removal, consistent with other Democratic officials already in this case.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Robert Kraft, Macklemore
Macklemore’s “Free Palestine” speech and removal from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour
Explore the case context, sources and public responses.
More from this case
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