On Monday, Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at curbing ticket price gouging by middlemen in the entertainment industry. The order seeks to protect fans with measures against “exploitative ticket scalping” and introduces reforms for pricing live entertainment events.

Accompanied by flamboyant singer Kid Rock in the Oval Office, Trump emphasized that the order is meant to keep ticket prices from becoming extravagantly expensive for fans.

Kid Rock, sporting a sparkling outfit with American flag imagery, described the struggle with bots sweeping up tickets and unnecessarily hiking the prices, calling it a “great first step” towards resolving the issue.

The order specifically targets dishonest middlemen who inflate fees. It tasks Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Attorney General Pam Bondi with ensuring scalpers are in full compliance with IRS rules when reselling tickets at higher prices.

A 2023 law mandates e-commerce platforms to report ticket sale earnings above $600 to the IRS. Excess profits may warrant additional taxes for the seller, and the change stems from early Biden administration legislation.

The order also compels the Federal Trade Commission to enforce competition laws and promote price transparency throughout the ticket buying process.

The White House notes that ticket scalpers use unfair methods to buy large quantities of face-value tickets, only to resell them at significantly inflated prices on the secondary market – sometimes as much as 70 times the original price.

Trump, claiming he was unfamiliar with the extent of the problem, stated he looked into it and found it to be a “big problem”.

The matter has received years of scrutiny following numerous controversies that led to fans being overcharged. Notably, the debacle surrounding Taylor Swift’s Eras tour spurred Senate hearings and antitrust investigations by the Biden administration.

The Biden administration’s Justice Department ultimately sued Ticketmaster and Live Nation, alleging they operated a monopoly that restricted competition and inflated ticket prices.

In the Oval Office, Kid Rock, decked in a sparkling red jacket with rhinestones, pointed out the bipartisan support for the change and mentioned that Ticketmaster is “on board” with the new policy.

He expressed a desire for fans to have access to fair ticket prices, saying that there’s enough money to keep everyone satisfied without loss.

Kid Rock encouraged Congress to consider legislation capping the price of resale tickets, humorously suggesting he’d rather be known for helping the working class than making excessive profits from ticket sales.

During the signing ceremony, Trump answered a series of questions from mostly supportive news outlets, including one about wearing Kid Rock’s American flag-themed jacket. After realizing he had yet to sign the order, he quickly added his signature with a black pen, teasing that Kid Rock should “do well with this”. Kid Rock plotted to “Make America Fun Again” while holding the signed order.