Robert Kraft Responds to Macklemore's $1 Million Donation Challenge: "A Call Came First"

The Loop Tour drama just added another chapter. Macklemore was removed from Ed Sheeran’s tour after chanting“Free Palestine”and performing“Hind’s Hall”at a New Jersey show, with venues reportedly threatening to pull their dates, including two Gillette Stadium shows on September 25 and 26. Sheeran has since said the decision came from the promoter, not him. Then Macklemore made his move, publicly challenging Patriots owner Robert Kraft to match a $1 million donation to Palestinian aid. One of the six organizations receiving that money is named after Kraft’s late wife, Myra, which cranked the internet debate up another notch.

Kraft’s response finally landed, and it reframes the whole timeline. He says Ed Sheeran personally called him before Macklemore’s challenge went public, asking him to commit $2 million to regional humanitarian aid. In other words, Kraft is positioning his money as already in motion, not a reaction to a dare. Macklemore’s camp hasn’t confirmed that account, and the back-and-forth over who donated first is now its own storyline.

Meanwhile, the tour itself keeps shifting. Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga have all withdrawn from the Loop Tour, leaving fans wondering what the final lineup even looks like. It’s a rare collision of music, politics and one very public challenge between a rapper and an NFL owner. So we want to know what you think: does it matter who picked up the phone first if the money is going to people who need it?