"It’s like McCarthyism in a keffiyeh." - Brendan O'Neill

What happened in this episode?

In this short Triggernometry segment, writer Brendan O’Neill discusses what he portrays as a backlash against Ed Sheeran connected to pro-Palestinian activism around Sheeran’s US tour dates. O’Neill says rapper Macklemore (whom he describes as a “hip woke rapper”) opened some shows by saying “free Palestine” and making “genocide” comments, after which some stadium owners allegedly objected to their venues becoming anti-Israel rallies and told Sheeran to remove the support act. O’Neill says he is uneasy about the decision on anti-cancel-culture grounds, arguing advertised acts should generally be kept regardless of speech.

He then claims the public blowback focused less on Macklemore and more on Sheeran, describing “venom” directed at Sheeran online and protests at later gigs. O’Neill also says Sheeran stated that members of his own family turned on him, which O’Neill interprets as evidence of coercive ideological pressure.

O’Neill characterises the “free Palestine movement” as a “political neo-religious cult” and uses the phrase “McCarthyism in a” keffiyeh/“kafir” to describe what he sees as enforced conformity. He alleges that in Ireland a radio station removed Sheeran’s songs, politicians condemned him, and newspapers suggested he was no longer welcome or should renounce “Irishness” linked to his heritage. The clip provides no documentary support or specific identifications for those Irish claims.

What are the key points?

• O’Neill says Macklemore’s on-stage pro-Palestine comments led to pressure from stadium owners to remove him as a support act.
• He argues he dislikes cancel culture but suggests venues may object to being used as political rally sites.
• O’Neill claims Ed Sheeran became the main target of online abuse and protests following the controversy.
• He says Sheeran indicated his own family ‘turned on him’, which O’Neill interprets as ideological coercion.
• O’Neill calls the ‘free Palestine movement’ a ‘neo-religious cult’ and likens it to ‘McCarthyism’.
• He alleges (without naming sources) that an Irish radio station stopped playing Sheeran and that Irish politicians and newspapers publicly condemned him.

Who is speaking?

Named speakers identified in Egleze's source-linked moments from this episode.

• Brendan O'Neill

Which topics are covered?

How is this page sourced?

Programme

Triggernometry

Published

15 October 2026

Duration

2m

Original episode

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Egleze verifies the speaker, source and timestamp for each linked moment. Unless a moment is explicitly marked independently verified, statements remain attributed claims by the named speaker rather than established facts.