U.S. President Donald Trump, alongside American musician Kid Rock, signed an executive order on Monday aimed at tackling ticket scalping and curbing inflated prices for live events. The order is designed to stop “unscrupulous middlemen” from profiting by reselling concert and event tickets at excessive markups.
Trump’s new directive mandates that the U.S. Attorney General and the Treasury Secretary use “all legal means” to address soaring ticket prices, while calling on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce price transparency throughout the ticket purchasing process, including in the secondary ticketing market.
“You can buy a ticket for $100, but by the time you check out, it’s $170,” said Kid Rock, who joined Trump in the Oval Office for the signing ceremony. The singer, known for his outspoken views, highlighted the impact of “bots,” which enable ticket resellers to purchase tickets in bulk and relist them at steep price markups, sometimes reaching 400-500%.
The new policy builds on similar efforts by the previous administration under President Joe Biden, which also took action against ticketing practices. In 2024, the Biden administration filed a lawsuit against concert booking platform Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, accusing them of monopolistic practices.
Live Nation, which has denied the monopoly allegations, expressed support for Trump’s executive order, calling for strict enforcement to address ticket price inflation. The company has long been a focal point of consumer complaints regarding high ticket fees and resale prices.
The executive order is expected to pave the way for greater regulation in the ticketing industry, with the goal of making ticket purchases more transparent and affordable for consumers.
