TAMPA, Fla. — “Vile and a slap in the face” to the Jewish community — that’s how Florida Sen. Rick Scott is describing past antisemitic remarks from the rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West.
Now, Scott is calling on the Tampa Sports Authority to “carefully review” Ye’s upcoming shows at Raymond James Stadium on June 26 and 28.
“Kanye West’s consistent antisemitic attacks are an affront to the values of the people of the Hillsborough community,” Scott wrote in a letter to Sports Authority members. “He has openly praised Nazis, called himself one, and slandered Jews around the world.”
“It is troubling that a stadium supported by taxpayer dollars would openly subsidize an event led by an artist known for pushing this dangerous, hateful rhetoric, especially with Florida having one of the largest Jewish populations in our country,” Scott’s letter adds. “West has been condemned by political figures across the political aisle. His outbursts and hate have helped to mainstream antisemitism. He was recently barred from performing in the United Kingdom due to offensive antisemitic remarks. I urge you to carefully review this decision, given the fact that taxpayer dollars are helping the show go on.”
According to TSA’s budget document for Raymond James Stadium for fiscal year 2026-2027, about 5% of the total community investment tax dollars collected by Hillsborough County goes toward debt payments on stadium bonds. The document says in FY 2024, that amounted to $8.9 million. It also says the authority has inter-local agreements with the county and the city of Tampa that allow for the city to pay 1/3 and the county to pay 2/3 of any deficit in the authority’s operating and maintenance expenses. In FY 26-27, it requested a combined $3.6 million from Tampa and Hillsborough County.
Jonathan Ellis, chair of the Tampa Jewish Community Relations Council, said Scott’s comments about Ye’s past remarks were spot-on.
“The statements he’s made have been tremendously problematic — not just for the Jewish community,” Ellis said of Ye. “They should be problematic for any citizen of the United States.”
He said he’d like more information on how the authority made the decision to allow Ye to play at Raymond James. A spokesperson didn’t respond to questions about that process Friday, but did issue a statement earlier in the day.
The statement read, in part: “As a public agency, we follow the principles of free speech in operating our venue, although we do not condone remarks or actions from any artists that are offensive and divisive.”
Some though, say it was inappropriate for Scott to use his influence as an elected official to try to control what artists say, and what the public can see.
“The letter raises serious First Amendment concerns,” said Aaron Terr, director of public advocacy for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression – or FIRE.
“The taxes are funding a venue that hosts a variety of art and entertainment — not just that which meets government officials’ approval,” Terr added. “So, the fact that a venue is supported by taxpayer dollars doesn’t mean that officials get to ban performers based on disapproval of their views.”
Ellis acknowledged the free speech implications, but argued that his main concern was the process used to approve Ye’s concerts in the first place.
“While certainly there are freedom of speech issues that are involved, I’m not sure it’s solely based on issues of freedom of speech that the decision was made,” said Ellis. “I think the real question we’re looking at is how the decision was made by the TSA to allow Kanye West to play at Raymond James Stadium.”
Tampa City Council member Luis Viera said in a Facebook post that while Ye has the right to say what he wants, the residents of Tampa also have the right to respond.
“Free speech is not the issue with Kanye West having two concerts in Tampa at Raymond James Stadium — the community response is the issue and test,” Viera wrote. “He has a right to his speech — but the community has a moral duty to respond.”
Viera ended by saying, “In an age of rampant and accepted bigotry, Tampa stands tall against shameful hate and antisemitism.”
Ye also faced challenges to his June 6 and 8 shows in the Netherlands. A Jewish organization filed an emergency lawsuit asking that he be barred from performing because of his past remarks, but a court ruled there was nothing to suggest his concerts would lead to danger to public order.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source baynews9.com ’
