Executive Calvin Ball of Howard County, the increasingly diverse and pluralistic area where the venue is located, offered his own statement. “I do not condone or validate any derogatory actions or comments of any [entertainer playing Merriweather Post Pavilion],” he wrote in an email. "It is my hope that any conversation we have around hateful speech produces an understanding of the damage it can cause and leads us to a place of greater unity, and a better tomorrow for all.”