Politics

Trump Follows Through On Key Campaign Promise With New Executive Order

Published

3 days ago

March 31, 2025

President Donald Trump followed through on a major campaign promise Monday by signing a sweeping executive order to crack down on exploitative ticket scalping and bring transparency to the live entertainment industry. Standing beside him in the Oval Office was rock star Kid Rock—decked out in a dazzling red, white, and blue outfit celebrating America’s 250th birthday.

Trump, seated at the Resolute Desk with flags behind him, made it clear: the days of fans being gouged by middlemen are numbered. Kid Rock, a longtime supporter of the president, stood nearby in a custom USA-themed suit emblazoned with eagles, stars, and red, white, and blue stripes.

“This is an executive order that deals with the ticket reselling business,” said White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf. “For fans of live entertainment—and for entertainers as well—the ticket reselling industry has become a huge issue.”

“These people use bots and computer algorithms to buy up huge blocks of tickets and then jack up the price, so that fans of live entertainers like Mr. Ritchie—I almost called him Mr. Rock—don’t have access to concerts the way that they should,” Scharf joked. “And when they do, it’s at exorbitantly high prices.”

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Scharf finished, “So what this executive order does is it charges the FTC and the Department of Justice with rigorously enforcing laws on the books, in collaboration with state attorneys general that have power over consumer protection, and other people who have the power to really crack down on this issue, so that entertainers and fans won’t be subject to these abusive and oftentimes illegal practices.”

The executive order directs the Federal Trade Commission to coordinate with the Attorney General in enforcing existing competition laws within the entertainment industry. Specifically, it calls for strict enforcement of the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act, and greater involvement from state consumer protection authorities.

Key provisions in the order include:

Ensuring price transparency at every step of the ticketing process, especially in the resale market.
Taking enforcement actions against unfair, deceptive, or anti-competitive practices in ticket resales.
Mandating that the Department of the Treasury and the DOJ ensure ticket scalpers comply with federal tax law.
Requiring a comprehensive report from the Treasury, DOJ, and FTC within 180 days detailing what’s being done to protect consumers—and what additional tools may be needed.

The action comes as Trump renews his focus on putting everyday Americans first. According to the administration’s fact sheet, the U.S. live concert industry contributes over $132 billion to the economy and supports more than 900,000 jobs. Yet for years, it’s been plagued by bots and middlemen snapping up tickets and flipping them for enormous markups—sometimes as high as 70 times face value.

The order also highlights Trump’s broader push to ease the financial burden on Americans. According to The White House fact sheet, in recent months he has:

Terminated New York City’s controversial congestion pricing plan.
Signed an executive order requiring hospitals to provide clear and upfront healthcare pricing.
Directed his administration to prioritize price relief for American families.