Sen. Rick Scott Says Kanye West’s Upcoming Tampa Performance Is ‘Slap In The Face’ To Jewish Community

BreakingBusinessSen. Rick Scott Says Kanye West’s Upcoming Tampa Performance Is ‘Slap In The Face’ To Jewish CommunityByConor Murray,Forbes Staff. Murray is a Forbes news reporter covering entertainment trends.Follow AuthorJun 05, 2026, 10:14am EDTToplineSen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., pushed back against a pair of concerts rapper Kanye West is booked to perform in Tampa later this month, demanding no taxpayer dollars be used to fund the shows in a letter to city officials, as West’s return to the stage has sparked wide backlash and led to multiple cancellations abroad.Kanye West's return to the stage has been met with blowback worldwide. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)Getty ImagesKey FactsIn a letter to Tampa’s Sports Authority Board of Directors, Scott said West’s “constant antisemitic attacks are an affront to the values” of Tampa residents and a “slap in the face to our state’s Jewish community.”Scott urged the sports board to “carefully review” its decision to host West at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium, also demanding the show not be funded with any taxpayer dollars.Scott’s letter cited multiple examples of West’s past antisemitic behavior, including previous remarks praising Nazis and his purchase of a Super Bowl advertisement in 2025 that directed viewers to his website, which was selling T-shirts branded with swastikas.Scott cited the United Kingdom’s decision to bar West from entering the country, which led to the cancellation of the three-day Wireless festival in London in April.In a post on X earlier this month, Scott said West “doesn’t deserve a stage to spread his hate anywhere, especially Florida.” if (!window.cnxel) { window.cnxel = {}; window.cnxel.cmd = []; var iframe = document.createElement('iframe'); iframe.style.display = 'none'; iframe.onload = function() { var iframeDoc = iframe.contentWindow.document; var script = iframeDoc.createElement('script'); script.src = '//cd.elements.video/player.js?cid=62cec241-7d09-4462-afc2-f72f8d8ef40a'; scr...