TAMPA, Fla. – U.S. Senator Rick Scott is gathering state leaders and members of the Jewish community for a press conference on Monday morning in St. Petersburg to push back against Kanye West’s upcoming concerts in Tampa.
Scott is demanding that no public money be used to support the artist’s performances, which are scheduled for June 26 through June 29 at Raymond James Stadium.
Ahead of Monday’s 10 a.m. event at The Florida Holocaust Museum, Scott sent a letter to the Tampa Sports Authority Board of Directors. In the letter, he urged the board to reconsider hosting the shows because the stadium is a taxpayer-supported venue.
“The Raymond James Stadium is a publicly owned venue made to be safe and serve the interests of the Hillsborough County and Tampa residents,” Scott wrote. He argued that the artist’s history of antisemitic comments makes the publicly funded stadium an inappropriate fit for the concerts.
“What we spend public money on reflects our values, and using dollars from hardworking families to platform a hateful person pushing evil ideologies is not a Florida value,” Scott stated in the letter.
He also pointed out that West was recently barred from performing in the United Kingdom over his rhetoric, noting that the artist’s outbursts have helped mainstream antisemitism.
The Monday press conference will include several prominent figures alongside Scott, including Ashley Moody, Department of Justice Task Force to Combat Antisemitism Chair Leo Terrell, and Holocaust survivor Toni Rinde. Representatives from the State of Israel and The Florida Holocaust Museum are also slated to attend and speak.
Scott closed his letter by stating his team is ready to help the Tampa Sports Authority address the issue, adding that he expects the authority to take action to ensure tax dollars do not subsidize the event.
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