Rashida Tlaib
Role at the time: U.S. representative for Michigan’s 12th Congressional District, speaking to TMZ
Statement summary
Asked about Macklemore’s removal, Rep. Rashida Tlaib said she had stopped respecting Ed Sheeran, contrasted his advocacy on Ukraine with his silence on Palestine, and said stadium owners were suppressing speech. She called for a boycott and said Robert Kraft and other billionaires should be investigated.
“Folks have platforms and use their positions to express their feelings around human rights, around protecting people, but it seems there’s always an exception when it comes to Palestinian lives.” … “It’s unfortunate because he said he doesn’t want to take sides, but he did on Ukraine. ‘I’m for human rights,’ except for Palestinians. … There’s always an exception for Palestinian people, as if we’re disposable.” … “I stopped respecting him.”
TMZ’s own doorstep interview with Rep. Tlaib, published as video with a written summary. The video is the primary record; the article paraphrases rather than transcribing most of her answers. TMZ adds that Gillette Stadium is among the few privately financed NFL stadiums, which bears on her description of “publicly funded stadiums.”
Why we used this label
Relative to Macklemore’s MetLife speech and his removal, Tlaib defends the speech and condemns the removal, framing it as the suppression of advocacy for Palestinians. She goes beyond criticising the outcome to endorse the stand Macklemore took, and names Sheeran and Kraft as responsible.