MS NOW's Hayes Brings In The Nation's Zirin to Defend Macklemore's Anti-Israel Rant

On Wednesday's All In show, MS NOW host Chris Hayes hosted a segment with The Nation sportswriter Dave Zirin to fret over the rapper Macklemore being dropped from a tour because of an anti-Israel rant he gave on stage.

Hayes began the segment by recalling that, after Macklemore promoted his views on stage as part of his opening act for singer Ed Sheeran, he was dropped from future shows when the owners of some venues -- like New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft -- wouldn't allow him. Hayes then showed clips of one of Macklemore's rants.

Although the leftist rapper was seen on stage making the inflammatory charges of both genocide and apartheid against Israel, Hayes did not emphasize these parts as he introduced it:

CHRIS HAYES: His comments were a call, among other things, for a free Palestine. In response to Macklemore being fired from the tour, every other opener on the tour who was part of it, and now Ed Sheeran's entire backing band, have quit in solidarity with Macklemore. For the record, this is part of what Macklemore actually said that appears to have resulted in his firing.

MACKLEMORE (on stage): One of the reasons why I wanted to come on this tour was because 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. I said, "Free Palestine." (editing jump) I want those words to be loud and clear so that people from Gaza, all the way to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten them. To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters, criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, in no way is a criticism of you.

After arguing that banning Macklemore from the concerts would backfire, Zirin then voiced support for his anti-Israel cause:

They're Irish, and I'm wearing my Irish shirt right here in solidarity with them because being -- and their statements have been remarkable because they haven't just said, "We're quitting this tour because of artistic freedom." They're saying, "We're quitting this because Ireland has a shared history of colonization for starvation and horrors that makes us relate to the Palestinian people." And that solidarity between Ireland and Palestine goes back centuries.

He added:

And what the other thing that they're saying in their statements, and this comes from Ireland, where there is just -- there's no fear to say this, that there is nothing anti-Semitic about criticizing the Israeli state or calling for a free Palestine. And I just have to say, as a Jewish person, there are just few things I find more abhorrent than the idea that it would brand somebody as anti-Semitic to oppose Israel's actions in Gaza and beyond.

Hayes then brought up and showed images of an incident from 2014 in which Macklemore wore a costume on stage that looked like anti-Semitic stereotyping. The MS NOW host posed:

He says he was just trying to address, you know, surprise the people at the show. "It was surprising" that "images of a disguise were sensationalized." That image keeps showing up everywhere. He apologized for it. He said it had nothing to do with that. It does seem to me like there's this sense that some people have that, like this guy already had bad views. And so that's compounding. Do you think there's anything there?

Zirin deflected by bringing up Sacha Baron Cohen's acts, and ended up lamely trying to tie in Donald Trump:

A lot of people have pointed out as well that these football owners, they fund Donald Trump. And, my goodness, if we're really serious about fighting anti-Semitism in this country and those who are becoming Nazi curious, can't we start with this administration? But, no, everybody's laser focused on people who are saying "Free Palestine" because that threatens the legitimacy of what Israel is doing, and that is still verboten in a lot of mainstream politics here in the United States, but not across the world.

Transcript follows:

MS NOW's All In

September 16, 2026

8:47 p.m. Eastern

CHRIS HAYES: By now, you're probably familiar with the enormous fallout after the rapper Macklemore was removed as an opening act from the nationwide tour of singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The two were on a huge tour playing massive stadiums across the country, but after comments Macklemore made on stage during two stops in the beginning of the tour in New Jersey, he was banned from performing at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, before being dropped from the tour entirely by Sheeran.

His comments were a call, among other things, for a free Palestine. In response to Macklemore being fired from the tour, every other opener on the tour who was part of it, and now Ed Sheeran's entire backing band, have quit in solidarity with Macklemore. For the record, this is part of what Macklemore actually said that appears to have resulted in his firing.

MACKLEMORE (on stage): One of the reasons why I wanted to come on this tour was because 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. I said, "Free Palestine." (editing jump) I want those words to be loud and clear so that people from Gaza, all the way to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten them. To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters, criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, in no way is a criticism of you.

HAYES: People can judge for themselves if that warranted Macklemore's removal. He was indeed pulled off the tour. Macklemore then posted a message on social media in which he blamed billionaire Robert Kraft, a very vocal supporter of Israel, owner of the New England Patriots. He said Kraft, who also owns Gillette Stadium, not only banned Macklemore but rallied other stadium owners to also bar the rapper from performing. In a statement of his own, Kraft confirmed that he did ban the rapper over what he says is a history of anti-Semitic rhetoric and imagery, but he didn't address the claims that he convinced others to do the same. At this juncture, it's unclear if and how the tour is even going to continue.

Dave Zirin is a sports editor at The Nation. He has covered Robert Kraft for years. This week, he called for justice for Macklemore. He's also the author of a brand new biography of Howard Zinn, the people's historian, and he joins me now. You know, Dave, the thing that struck me here before getting into all of it is just that I can't imagine something more counterproductive in terms of the discourse than the actions that we're taking here. Like the, you know, football billionaire football owners are not like generally like the heroes of American discourse. And having someone come in and be like, "You can't blame my stadium," I don't think it's going to accomplish what Robert Kraft I think wants it -- wants it to accomplish.

DAVE ZIRIN, THE NATION: Yeah. Chris, isn't this what us media folks call the "Streisand effect," where the desire to censor only backfires dramatically? And now everybody is looking at this story, and it's blown up beyond all comprehension. And you have recording artists like the very mainstream Hayley Williams now saying "Free Palestine" in her concerts, in solidarity with the idea of artistic freedom with Macklemore. No, I do not think that was on Bob Kraft's bingo card.

The other part of this, as you mentioned, was the entire tour effectively quitting. And this is an important part of the story because the entire tour, the backup band, the leading bands other than Macklemore, what do they have in common? They're Irish, and I'm wearing my Irish shirt right here in solidarity with them because being -- and their statements have been remarkable because they haven't just said, "We're quitting this tour because of artistic freedom." They're saying, "We're quitting this because Ireland has a shared history of colonization for starvation and horrors that makes us relate to the Palestinian people." And that solidarity between Ireland and Palestine goes back centuries.

And what the other thing that they're saying in their statements, and this comes from Ireland, where there is just -- there's no fear to say this, that there is nothing anti-Semitic about criticizing the Israeli state or calling for a free Palestine. And I just have to say, as a Jewish person, there are just few things I find more abhorrent than the idea that it would brand somebody as anti-Semitic to oppose Israel's actions in Gaza and beyond.

HAYES: I do feel like I have to, because these photos have been everywhere, that some people have said, well, yes, about what he said there, but also that he had this, you know, there's this incident in 2014. I want to show these photos where he -- it's a very weird story. Basically came out to do like a shtick at his concert where he comes out in a costume, which is that what you see there. A lot of people were very offended because it looked to them like he was doing this, like really gross sort of anti-Semitic costume, like the big nose and the beard and the hair.

He says he was just trying to address, you know, surprise the people at the show. "It was surprising" that "images of a disguise were sensationalized." That image keeps showing up everywhere. He apologized for it. He said it had nothing to do with that. It does seem to me like there's this sense that some people have that, like this guy already had bad views. And so that's compounding. Do you think there's anything there?

ZIRIN: I don't for a couple of reasons. First of all, they give Sacha Baron Cohen awards for dressing up like that and going on stage. He has apologized for that repeatedly over the years. And like you said, this was many years ago, and yet it's being held up now as a trope to deny what he's saying about fighting for free Palestine. It was one incident. What was it, 14 years ago or whatever it was?

HAYES: It was 12, yeah.

ZIRIN: I mean, the thing about it, the thing about it that's important to point out, though, is that that wasn't a problem for Bob Kraft, that he dressed up that way lo the many years ago. That wasn't a problem for the other NFL owners. It was saying "Free Palestine" that crossed the line for them. And then we also have to raise that a lot of these stadium owners have played host to Kanye West, who he of the song Heil Hitler fame. A lot of people have pointed out as well that these football owners, they fund Donald Trump.

And, my goodness, if we're really serious about fighting anti-Semitism in this country and those who are becoming Nazi curious, can't we start with this administration? But, no, everybody's laser focused on people who are saying "Free Palestine" because that threatens the legitimacy of what Israel is doing, and that is still verboten in a lot of mainstream politics here in the United States, but not across the world.