"Ed Sheeran Is a COWARD" Macklemore DROPPED From Tour Over 'Free Palestine' Speech

September 16, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Macklemore had been onstage at a concert in Seattle, partway through a run as Ed Sheeran’s opening act, when he told the crowd: “I wanted to stand up here on stages and stadiums across America and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart, free Palestine.” The crowd cheered. Then Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of the New England Patriots and the Gillette Stadium where Sheeran was scheduled to play, banned Macklemore from performing at his venue. Sheeran’s promoters fired him from the entire tour. Every other supporting act quit in protest. And a dispute that might have stayed local became a national story about free speech, billionaire power, and the limits of solidarity with Palestine in American entertainment.

The Streisand Effect and the Question of Free Speech

The panel agreed on one thing: the ban backfired. Rajah Ali, host of Democracy Ish, called it “the greatest example of the Streisand effect” and suggested it should be renamed “the Sheeran effect.” Before the controversy, few people were paying attention to Macklemore’s tour. After it, his speech was replayed on Fox News and discussed across the political spectrum. As Piers Morgan put it, “More people are talking about him now than at any point in his life.”

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What you'll learn

1 Timestamped Outline
2 (00:00) **Opening & Episode Setup** - Piers Morgan introduces the Macklemore/Ed Sheeran controversy and frames the debate
3 (04:24) **Panel Introductions** - Four guests join to debate the controversy and broader Middle East issues
4 (04:46) **Anna Kasperian's Opening Take** - Macklemore's stunt was deliberate, Ed Sheeran bears responsibility
5 (05:47) **Robert Kraft's Conflicts of Interest** - Rajah Ali argues Kraft's personal history undermines his credibility
6 (07:49) **Joe Walsh: Free Speech Framework** - Everyone exercised their rights, including Kraft
7 (10:02) **Power Dynamics and Free Speech** - Rajah counters that billionaire ownership distorts free speech

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Piers Morgan Benjamin Netanyahu

Show Notes

As Middle East tensions escalate on multiple fronts and Congress votes again to end the Iran War, political friction has spilled over into pop culture. Rapper Macklemore has been dropped from Ed Sheeran’s stadium tour after shouting "Free Palestine" on stage - a move triggered by Patriots owner Robert Kraft banning him from Gillette Stadium.

With supporting acts quitting in protest and Sheeran facing intense backlash, Piers Morgan dives into the chaos, asking who is really to blame and whether silencing artists ever actually works.

Joining him is The Young Turks’ Ana Kasparian, Democracy-ish host Wajahat Ali, former Republican congressman Joe Walsh and Yemen-born journalist and activist Luai Ahmed.

We’re also joined by former Israeli Prime Ministers Ehud Olmert and Naftali Bennett.

(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:03:55) Macklemore and the Ed Sheeran controversy

(00:12:40) Backlash directed at Ed Sheeran

(00:19:03) Macklemore’s antisemitism and ‘Jewface’ caricature

(00:26:22) Israel’s declining popularity in America

(00:26:55) Mecca drone attack and the Houthis

(00:34:34) Wajahat Ali is challenged over Rula Jebreal monkey interview

(00:39:34) Ex-Israeli PM Ehud Olmert joins the show

(00:40:53) Ehud Olmert and Piers discuss the Haaretz piece on Benjamin Netanyahu

(00:42:15) Ehud Olmert on Charlie Kirk’s claims of a “stand down order” on October 7th

(00:49:22) Ehud Olmert reacts to Ed Miliband justifying the UK’s West Bank sanctions

(00:53:44) Ehud Olmert reacts to Doron Spielman calling him a “self-hating jew”

(00:55:42) Ex-Israeli PM Naftali Bennett on the Haaretz Netanyahu controversy

(00:57:13) Polymarket: Who will be the Prime Minister of Israel after the election? https://polymarket.com/event/who-will-be-the-next-prime-minister-of-israel-after-the-next-election

(01:00:10) Naftali Bennett on the Macklemore controversy

(01:01:45) Piers’ tribute to Bonnie Greer

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