Macklemore gets support from high-profile Democrat

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez used a fundraising memo to defend Macklemore after he was pulled from Ed Sheeran’s tour over “Free Palestine” remarks.

“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 text said.

She argued the fight was larger than one 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.”

Ocasio-Cortez cast the episode as a class conflict. Oligarchs, she said, could just as easily block talk about AI or workers’ rights. “This moment is a test of how far the very powerful can go in censoring speech.”

She told supporters to keep the focus on Kraft and how he uses influence to control what can be discussed in America, then asked for $5 or more.

Macklemore made the remarks Sept. 4 in New Jersey, performed a protest-linked song, and expanded the list the next night to Lebanon, Cuba, Congo, Sudan, and Iran while telling Jewish fans he was targeting the Israeli government, not Judaism.

Kraft later said he would sit down with Macklemore and that the goal should be peace and an end to hate. He also pledged $2 million in aid related to the region.

Kraft has had a complicated relationship with Trump, including a split after Jan. 6 and later public proximity at Kennedy Center events. The Patriots did not immediately comment when asked about the memo.