Barstool Sports founder and owner Dave Portnoy expressed concerns over the rise of socialism across the country, as numerous left-wing candidates continue to win their primary elections.
Portnoy, who has become more outspoken about politics recently, said Thursday on Fox & Friends that he does not understand how people can support these candidates because a majority of them express anti-American views.
“It’s not only just socialism and communism in the tense, like I want an affordable America and I want people to live happily, it’s just the things they are saying on top of it,” Portnoy said. “How much they hate Western society, how they want no jails, they want no borders, they want no police.
“They hate this country.”
Portnoy said the candidates’ resentment toward the country is a “shocking thing” and that it is even more surprising that voters continue to support these candidates.
“They’re getting elected now seemingly every day there’s somebody else getting elected who blamed America for 9/11,” Portnoy said. “So it’s not just the underlying tenets of communism [and] socialism, it’s [that] they openly despise the United States.”
Portnoy’s comments come as socialist and progressive candidates are gaining momentum within the Democratic Party.
New York and Colorado served as examples of this growing trend, as socialist and progressive candidates backed by the likes of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) beat more moderate and establishment candidates.
Former New York City comptroller Brad Lander beat Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), and in Colorado, 29-year-old socialist Melat Kiros defeated Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO).
COLORADO REPUBLICAN WARNS NEW YORK IS EXPORTING SOCIALISTS TO CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS NATIONWIDE
Portnoy warned listeners about the growing trend in socialism.
“You always like to think [it] can’t happen here,” he said. “You go look at history, it has to be on the forefront of everybody’s mind.”
