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Macklemore Sparks Backlash With Anti-Israel Rant at Ed Sheeran Concert

4 sources · updated 2026-09-07
Left 0% Center 0% Right 100%
0 left · 0 center · 4 right

What happened

Rapper Macklemore (Benjamin Haggerty) opened for Ed Sheeran at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on consecutive Friday and Saturday nights. During both sets he wore a keffiyeh, led “Free Palestine” chants, said he wanted people in Gaza and the West Bank to know they had not been forgotten, and performed his 2024 protest song “Hind’s Hall” while stadium screens showed images from Gaza and campus demonstrations. The Israeli-American Council then launched a petition asking Sheeran, tour management, upcoming venues, and Live Nation to remove Macklemore from the rest of the Loop Tour. Actor Michael Rapaport and the group StopAntisemitism publicly criticized the performances. As of the published reports, Sheeran had not issued a public response and Macklemore remained listed as an opener for upcoming dates.
Sourcing check · Fully on the record · 4 articles

4 of 4 articles cite a named source for the story. It was on the record from the first report.

What these terms mean and how they're counted
On the record · names a source 4 of 4
On the record means the article cites a source by name for the story's main claim: a person, or an institution speaking officially, such as a company statement or a named agency's spokesperson. The opposite is an unnamed source. The count is how many of the counted articles cite at least one such source; the names are everyone named across them, each once however the articles spell it. Here: Israeli-American Council, StopAntisemitism, Josh Wein and Michael Rapaport
Primary evidence · cites a document or data 1 of 4
Primary evidence means the article cites a record you could check yourself: a court filing or ruling, a dataset or report, a recording or transcript, an official statement or press release, market data. A quote is not a document. The count is how many articles cite one. Here: video, petition
Credits another outlet 0 of 4
The article says the story comes from another outlet's reporting (“first reported by Reuters”). Those articles relay the story; they are not independent confirmation. Here: Each article presents its own reporting.
Unnamed sources 0 of 4
The main claim is attributed to people who are not identified: “people familiar with the matter”, “officials said”. The count is how many articles do this.
How it developed
When the first report landed and whether it named anyone; when the first named source and the first document appeared. Here: First report Sep 6, 09:43 UTC by Daily Wire, naming its source. First document 7 hours later, from Breitbart (video).
Not counted 0
Opinion, analysis and video pieces, and articles too short to assess. Every count above is out of the counted articles. An article republished under a new headline is one article.
This is about who is cited, not whether the story is true. Each source below says what it names. How we count
BLINDSPOT. Only right-leaning outlets are covering this story — the other side's media is silent.
Omitted — what each side leaves out

Unpacked

Left-leaning coverage has not reported Macklemore's political set at Ed Sheeran's MetLife Stadium shows at all. Right-leaning coverage says he opened those dates by leading chants of "Free Palestine," wearing a keffiyeh, and playing Hind's Hall over Gaza footage, after which the Israeli-American Council petitioned to drop him from the tour. A reader of the silent side would miss that Jewish advocacy groups asked Sheeran, Live Nation, and upcoming venues to treat the opening act as a one-sided political platform. Right-leaning outlets do not use the same label for the onstage message. Daily Wire called it "Islamist propaganda." The New York Post called it an "anti-Israel rant." Has Ed Sheeran said whether he approved Macklemore using that opening slot for a political set?
Bottom line

Left-leaning coverage has no account of Macklemore's MetLife "Free Palestine" set, which Daily Wire says he delivered to a crowd of more than 80,000.

The receipts — 6 facts one side's coverage lacks
  • The Israeli-American Council petitioned to remove Macklemore from Ed Sheeran's remaining Loop Tour dates after he led Free Palestine chants at MetLife Stadium. official statementin Daily Wire, New York Post, Breitbart · absent from left-leaning coverage
  • Daily Wire says the Israeli-American Council represents more than 150,000 Israeli-Americans; the New York Post says more than 15,000. numberin Daily Wire, New York Post · absent from left-leaning coverage
  • Macklemore addressed a MetLife crowd of more than 80,000. numberin Daily Wire · absent from left-leaning coverage
  • Concertgoer Josh Wein said his daughters were confused by the rant and his family would stop supporting Sheeran. individual casein New York Post · absent from left-leaning coverage
  • Macklemore previously appeared onstage dressed as an Orthodox Jew with an exaggerated prosthetic nose. contextin Daily Wire, Breitbart · absent from left-leaning coverage
  • As of publication Sheeran had not publicly responded and Macklemore remained listed as an opener for upcoming dates. contextin Daily Wire · absent from left-leaning coverage
The Right View
Daily Wire, New York Post, Breitbart, and Fox News framed the sets as an anti-Israel rant or concert hijacking. They reported the IAC petition’s claim that an Ed Sheeran show is not a political rally and that an opener should not present a one-sided agenda with selective imagery as fact to a stadium crowd. Coverage highlighted StopAntisemitism’s statement that Jewish patrons should not be subjected to the messaging, revived criticism of Macklemore’s past onstage Orthodox-Jew costume with a prosthetic nose, and quoted concertgoers who said they brought children to a music show and felt lectured. Outlets recapped his post-October 7 activism, including calling Israel’s Gaza campaign a genocide and a 2024 “f*ck America” chant. Fox News also quoted Michael Rapaport calling Macklemore a “clown,” included more of his speech about children and ICE, and noted that some attendees cheered and praised him for using his platform.
Our Take (balanced)
The underlying event is substantive: named actors, a named stadium, two public performances, circulating video, quoted remarks, and a documented petition from a named advocacy group. It is established that Macklemore delivered pro-Palestinian remarks, led “Free Palestine” chants, and performed “Hind’s Hall” with related imagery at the MetLife shows, and that IAC, StopAntisemitism, Rapaport, and some ticket-holders objected. Claims that the set was antisemitic propaganda, a “hijack,” or proof of genocide remain contested characterizations, not independently settled facts in this coverage. No left-leaning outlet has reported this. Watch for any statement from Sheeran, Live Nation, or tour venues; whether Macklemore is dropped from remaining dates; and whether the petition or refund demands produce a documented response.

4 sources

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