Are Dave Portnoy's Religious Beliefs Fueling His Heated Condemnation of Antisemitism at His Bar?

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy is a polarizing figure with opinions that are often difficult to place in one box. For example, he is a loud and proud supporter of Taylor Swift and has publicly come to her defense on numerous occasions. This was not lost on Taylor, who, in October 2024, sent Portnoy a thank-you note while he was attending the second show of her Miami run during the Eras tour, per Vanity Fair.

Dave is also a Donald Trump supporter who interviewed the president in July 2020 ahead of the elections. Although he described himself as apolitical, Dave was quite complimentary and went on to endorse Trump in September 2024 when he ran a third time. Something he rarely discusses is religion, but that became a topic of interest for Dave after an antisemitic incident occurred at the Bartstool Sports bar location in Philadelphia. Here's what we know.

Dave is Jewish, and while he doesn't discuss his background too often, he isn't shy about sharing his beliefs. In April 2025, the Daily Mail reported that Dave was waving an Israeli flag during a UFC match. He joined President Trump and his crew for UFC 314, where Jean Silva took on Bryce Mitchell. What does an Israeli flag have to do with a UFC match? Well, Dave was showing support for Jewish people in the face of antisemitic comments made by Bryce, a Holocaust denier.

In a video Dave posted to X, he is seen waving the tiny Israeli flag while sporting a yarmulke. "Always fun to see a Hitler lover get his a-- whooped," commented Dave alongside the video.

Dave has made his support for Israel known in the past. Following the Oct. 7 attacks, Dave has been more vocal in his belief that Israel has a right to defend itself, reported the Daily Mail.

"There is no country that is consistently attacked by their enemies + then told to use restraint when defending themselves (despite superior military) more than Israel," he wrote on X.

What should have been another raucous Saturday night in Philadelphia turned into one of hate when two servers at Barstool Sansom Street were recorded allegedly holding a sign that read, "F--k the Jews." The incident occurred on May 3 and was recorded by someone who uploaded it to a since-deleted Instagram account, per CNYCentral. The person holding the sign is a student at Temple University. They have since been suspended.

Dave took to social media, where he posted an expletive-filled rant on X about the situation. He admitted that he was initially filled with rage. He then took a step back and said he viewed any individuals behind this as "young morons," and said he didn't want to ruin anyone's life. "Maybe I can use this as a teaching moment," said Dave. After speaking with the "culprits" and their families, Dave decided to send them to Auschwitz to tour the concentration camps, hoping they will "learn something."

He clarified that the two servers were fired from the bar, but they aren't the ones Dave is sending to Poland. The individuals going are the ones who actually made the sign. However, Dave posted a follow-up video in which he revealed that one of the people who made the sign is saying they are "no longer taking any responsibility or involvement for it" and has retained a lawyer. The trip to Poland has been canceled.