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Rapper Macklemore is getting a new ally as he continues to face backlash for his pro-Palestinian activism during his opening set for Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour earlier this month.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., invoked the ongoing controversy in a fundraising memo sent to supporters late last week, in which she also criticized billionaire Robert Kraft for reportedly getting Sheeran to drop Macklemore from his concert tour.
“Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez here. Billionaire stadium owner, Robert Kraft, did not like Macklemore, a Grammy-winning rapper, saying ‘Free Palestine’ on stage — so he made calls and the artist got pulled off of Ed Sheeran’s tour,” the fundraising text obtained by Fox News Digital said.
“This is not just about a single musical act. This is about how a small handful of powerful people, like stadium owners, can threaten someone’s livelihood in order to prevent an entire massive issue from being spoken about — in this case, the genocide in Gaza.”
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defended Macklemore in a fundraising text message to supporters. (Graeme Sloan/Getty Images; Kristy Sparow/Getty Images)
She went on to say Macklemore’s plight represents a wider battle between social classes.
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“Oligarchs and billionaires could just as easily prevent people from speaking out about AI, workers’ rights, or any issue they don’t like. That is what makes this a dangerous precedent. This moment is a test of how far the very powerful can go in censoring speech,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
“And that’s why it’s important that we speak out about it. That we make clear that this is an abuse of power. And that we keep the focus on Robert Kraft and the way he’s using his influence to try to control what can and cannot be talked about in America.”
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The memo ended with the progressive congresswoman pledging to protect free speech and fight billionaires “who want to silence any form of dissent or peaceful protest,” followed by the call, “Will you chip in $5 or any amount you can afford to power this movement for a better future?”
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft speaks to the crowd during a Patriots NFL football Send Off rally in Foxborough, Mass., for Super Bowl LX on Feb. 1, 2026. (Steven Senne/AP Photo)
Macklemore, who was made famous for his song “Thrift Shop” in 2012, said “Free Palestine” during a Sept. 4 show in New Jersey while opening for Sheeran’s tour. He then performed a song inspired by the Columbia University anti-Israel protests, according to Forbes, then declared, “The people all the way in Gaza to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten about them. I say: Free Palestine. I say: Free Lebanon. Free Cuba to the Congo to Sudan to Iran.”
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Kraft, who owns the New England Patriots and their home turf Gillette Stadium, then threatened to cancel Sheeran’s show there, Macklemore later wrote publicly. Kraft also warned that other stadium owners would follow suit.
And despite being told to stop, Macklemore said “Free Palestine” during the following night’s show but clarified to Jews in the audience that his comments were aimed at Israel, not the religion as a whole.
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It did not stop the backlash by pro-Israel groups and fellow musical artists, however, culminating in Macklemore being dropped from Sheeran’s tour.
Kraft later told NBC News that his boycott was about a broader pattern of public discourse that he saw as harmful to the Jewish people. He told the outlet, “I would welcome the opportunity to sit down with Macklemore and discuss the facts, because ultimately our goal is the same — peace for all people, an end to suffering, and an end to all hate.”
The pro-Israel billionaire also pledged $2 million toward helping Palestinians amid the fallout.
Ed Sheeran and Macklemore attend the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Aug. 25, 2013. (Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
Kraft also has close ties to Trump, despite a falling out over the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. He donated money to Trump’s first inauguration and was seen next to Trump in the Kennedy Center’s presidential box earlier this year for a screening of the first lady’s film, “Melania.”
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Kraft’s wife, Dana Blumberg, is also a member of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees.
Fox News Digital reached out to the New England Patriots’ public affairs team seeking comment from Kraft.