Tampa Bay

Kanye West performs in Tampa despite protests of antisemitism, petition from Sen. Rick Scott

"There’s no place for antisemitism in Florida, especially at the expense of the taxpayer," a petition circulated by Scott read.

|ByTZVI JASPER
US rapper and producer Kanye West gestures upon arriving at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on July 11, 2025.
US rapper Ye performs on stage at the GelreDome venue in Arnhem, eastern Netherlands on June 6, 2026. Ye, formarly known as Kanye West, has sparked controversy with statements and songs glorifying Adolf Hitler as well as antisemitic diatribes, which he blamed on his bipolar disorder.

Kanye West concerts at public Tampa stadium locked in despite fierce backlash over Nazi praise

“Why on Earth would we use tax dollars to fund someone who has called himself a Nazi and praised Adolf Hitler?” Senator Rick Scott asked at a news conference.

|ByNINA MOSKE, GABRIELLE CALISE/TAMPA BAY TIMES/TNS
US rapper and producer Kanye West gestures upon arriving at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on July 11, 2025.

Holocaust survivors, Sen. Rick Scott condemn Kanye West’s Florida concerts

Florida Senator Rick Scott was joined by Holocaust survivors and members of the Tampa Jewish community in a press conference calling out Kanye West for historic antisemitism.

|ByGABRIELLE CALISE/TAMPA BAY TIMES/TNS