Rick Scott

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, is urging the Tampa Sports Authority to reconsider its decision to allow controversial rapper Kanye West, also known as Ye, to perform at Raymond James Stadium because of his past antisemitic comments.

On Thursday, Scott posted on X, tagging West and writing: "@kanyewest's antisemitic remarks are vile & a slap in the face to Florida’s Jewish community. It’s EXTREMELY troubling that TAXPAYER dollars are being used to fund his upcoming concert in Tampa. I’m demanding ACTION."

In a letter attached to the post and addressed to the Tampa Sports Authority Board of Directors, Scott said Raymond James Stadium is a publicly owned venue and that those who perform there are accountable to the taxpayers who help fund it.

"Ye's consistent antisemitic attacks are an affront to the values of the Hillsborough community. He has openly praised Nazis, called himself one, and slandered Jews across the world. Ye also funded a Super Bowl ad in 2025 that directed viewers to purchase merchandise featuring swastikas," the letter states.

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Scott argued that a taxpayer-supported stadium should not be used to promote what he described as hateful rhetoric, noting that Florida is home to one of the nation's largest Jewish populations.

"I urge you to carefully review this decision, given the fact that taxpayer dollars are helping the show go on," Scott wrote in the letter.

In February 2025, Ye posted on X, "I love Hitler" and "I'm a Nazi." In another post, he wrote, "I'm never apologizing for my Jewish comments. I can say whatever the f*** I wanna say forever. Where’s my f****** apology for freezing my accounts."

In January 2026, Ye issued an apology in a 750-word paid advertisement in The Wall Street Journal. In the ad, he attributed his antisemitic remarks to a bipolar disorder episode and said he experienced a "four-month-long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life" beginning in early 2025.

According to the Raymond James Stadium website, Ye is scheduled to perform June 26 and June 28 at the stadium in Tampa.

CBS12 News reached out to the Tampa Sports Authority for comment.