Following his departure from Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour, opener Aaron Rowe publicly defended Sheeran, characterising the removal of Macklemore as a "human error" rather than evidence of ideological commitment. Rowe redirected blame toward Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft, arguing that Kraft—not Sheeran—orchestrated the decision and should face scrutiny for attempting to suppress pro-Palestinian speech within the music industry. This defence came amid a cascading exodus from the tour, with multiple other openers (Finneas and Lukas Graham) and Sheeran's backing band Beoga also dropping out in protest.

The controversy began when Sheeran removed Macklemore from the tour after the rapper made "Free Palestine" remarks onstage, sparking public outcry. Sheeran issued a statement claiming it was the "promoter's decision," though Kraft had reportedly assembled several venue owners to present Sheeran with an ultimatum regarding Macklemore's continued involvement. Rowe's Instagram statement acknowledged Sheeran's response could have been stronger but emphasised that all of Sheeran's selected openers held pro-Palestinian views, arguing this undermined suggestions that Sheeran shared ideological opposition to the cause.