Flanked by a bespangled Kid Rock in the Oval Office, the president signed what he called a “very serious” order designed to protect fans from “having to pay crazy prices” for tickets.
“Anyone who’s bought a concert ticket in the last decade, maybe 20 years – no matter what your politics are – knows that it’s a conundrum,” Kid Rock, wearing sunglasses and a white fedora, said, lamenting the frustration of purchasing a ticket online after bots scoop up the tickets and then “jack up” the price. “This is a great first step.”
Targeting “unscrupulous middle men who impose egregious fees”, the order directs the treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, and the attorney general, Pam Bondi, to ensure that scalpers reselling tickets at a higher price than their face value are operating in full compliance with the Internal Revenue Service rules, according to a White House fact sheet.