Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) and former Democratic Florida Gov. Charlie Crist united to demand that the Tampa Sports Authority cancel two planned Ye concerts over the rapper’s antisemitic statements.
A bipartisan group of Florida leaders gathered outside the Florida Holocaust Museum on Monday to urge officials to halt the concert. The group is concerned that a stadium supported by taxpayer dollars is subsidizing the performances of the rapper formerly known as Kanye West. Ye is known for his unpredictable behavior and antisemitic statements, including praising Hitler.
The Tampa Bay Sports Authority manages Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, alongside three golf courses. Since the authority was created as a public agency, it functions as an independent special district and performance hub.
“Kanye West’s antisemitic remarks are vile & a slap in the face to Florida’s Jewish community,” Scott said in a post to Facebook. “It’s EXTREMELY troubling that TAXPAYER dollars are being used to fund his upcoming concert in Tampa. I’m demanding ACTION.”
The rapper’s antics include self-releasing “Heil Hitler,” a song that praises Naziism, and buying a Super Bowl ad for a website that sells T-shirts with a swastika.
Both Scott and Crist previously served as the governor of Florida and were political rivals in the 2014 Florida gubernatorial election. Scott won that race by about 1% of the vote.
Crist previously served as Florida’s Republican governor from 2007 to 2011 before changing his party affiliation to Democrat in 2012. He’s now running for mayor of St. Petersburg.
Scott serves as the senior senator from Florida. Despite mounting criticism, Ye is still scheduled to perform two concerts on June 26 and June 28, with the Tampa Sports Authority arguing that the shows should be held due to free speech.
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“We condemn antisemitism from any source. However, we also respect free speech rights guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution, even when we disagree with that speech,” the Tampa Sports Authority said. “In addition, no taxpayer money is being used for staging the Ye concerts. To suggest otherwise, is false.”
The concert has also faced protests from the Tampa Jewish Federation and the Florida Chapter of the National Organization for Women, Complex reported.