President Trump Joined by Kid Rock for Signing of Executive Order Aimed at Ticket Scalping
President Donald Trump was joined within the Oval Workplace by Kid Rock Monday for the signing of an government order aimed at what the White Home is asking “exploitative ticket scalping.”
The order calls upon the Federal Commerce Fee and Division of Justice to “rigorously implement” present legal guidelines, so it’s not instantly clear what speedy impact the chief order may need on the ticketing trade.
Trump advised reporters that he had been advised by his pal Kid Rock about “scalping and all of the gouging that you simply’ve been studying about it… And I didn’t know an excessive amount of about it, however i checked it out and it’s a large drawback. You’ve been attempting to get this finished for 20 years or one thing; he mentioned ‘Trump bought it finished in two weeks.’ … I’ve spoken to him through the years about it, and it bothers him… The artists exit with a $100 ticket and it sells for $2,000 the next night time.”
The order seems aimed at cracking down on bots greater than setting limits on costs, however Kid Rock mentioned he want to see legal guidelines applied that do put a cap on what resellers can cost.
“In the end I believe it is a nice first step,” mentioned the rocker-rapper. “I’d love down the highway if there could be some laws the place we may truly put a cap on the resale of tickets. … I’m a capitalist and a deregulation man, however they’ve tried this in some locations in Europe, and it appears to be the one factor that permits us as artists to get tickets into the palms of followers at the costs we set.”
This government order, which doesn’t go almost that far, was described by the White Home as an motion that “costs the FTC and Division of Justice with rigorously implementing legal guidelines on the books, in collaboration with state attorneys basic which have energy over shopper safety, and different individuals who have energy to essentially crack down on this subject, in order that entertainers and followers received’t be topic to those abusive and oftentimes unlawful practices.”
The order was endorsed by organizations from Stay Nation to the Nationwide Customers League.
“Scalpers and bots forestall followers from getting tickets at the costs artists set, and we thank President Trump for taking them head-on,” Stay Nation mentioned in a press release. “We assist any significant resale reforms — together with extra enforcement of the BOTS act, caps on resale costs, and extra.”
Stay Nation CEO Michael Rapino issued a separate assertion on his X account, tagging Trump and Kid Rock. “Massive thanks to President Donald Trump for taking ticket scalping head-on which protects American shoppers and artists,” Rapino wrote. “Scalpers and bots forestall followers from getting tickets at the costs artists set, which is why we assist any significant resale reforms — together with extra enforcement of the BOTS act, caps on resale costs, and extra.”
“It doesn’t matter your politics,” Kid Rock mentioned, standing alongside Trump, one of the extra outspoken conservatives within the music world, and a longtime supporter of the president. “Thanks, Mr. President, as a result of this has occurred at lightning velocity… Anybody who’s purchased a ticket within the final decade, possibly 20 years, it doesn’t matter what your politics are, is aware of that it’s a conundrum. You purchase a ticket for 100 bucks, by the time you take a look at it’s $170, you don’t know what you’re getting charged for. However extra importantly, these bots — they arrive in and get all the great tickets to your favourite exhibits you wish to go to, after which they’re relisted instantly for typically a 400 or 500% markup. And the artists don’t see any of that cash.”
Trump just isn’t the primary president to concentrate to ticketing points, as his predecessor, Joe Biden, charged the FTC with cracking down on “junk charges.” Below the Biden administration, the Justice Division sued Ticketmaster and mum or dad firm Stay Nation and requested the court docket to interrupt up what was described as a monopoly.
One skeptic, trade blogger Bob Lefsetz, instantly weighed in on the order, saying it was successfully meaningless.
“A lot ado about nothing. Grandstanding. A joke,” Lefsetz wrote. “In actuality the order says nothing. Apart from ticket scalpers make loads of cash they usually should pay taxes on their income. … As for the BOTS act… It’s been on the books for years, nevertheless it’s been ineffective as a result of there’s been no cash/property delegated for ENFORCEMENT! And in a authorities the place Musk is slicing willy-nilly, the place is the additional manpower to give attention to…TICKET SCALPING?”
However Kid Rock’s approval for the motion was agency that it’s “a step” if not a closing vacation spot in altering practices.
“I’ll be the primary one to say, and I do know the president doesn’t like once I say this, however I’m slightly overpaid proper now,” mentioned the singer. “It’s form of ridiculous. I’d reasonably be a hero to working-class individuals and have them be capable to come attend my exhibits and provides them a good ticket worth. I can’t management that proper now so hopefully it is a step to make that occur.”
