Outspoken New England sports superfan Dave Portnoy isn’t exactly known for being low-key and reserved in his opinions. The man doesn’t hold back, love him or hate him. So, when the Barstool Sports founder was approached by the team of Senate candidate Graham Platner (D-ME) to do some commentary on the ownership of the Boston Red Sox, he didn’t hold back.
In fact, he blasted Platner’s people, particularly political strategist Jeff Coote, for having the audacity to approach him in the hopes that he’d “play footsy with a guy who is a Nazi.”
Platner, of course, is known mostly for having a chest tattoo of a skull-and-crossbones design known as the Totenkopf, a symbol long associated with Nazi SS units and concentration camp guards. That, and being a harmless “oyster farmer,” as the media portrays him.
Coote appeared to cold-contact Portnoy about an ad the campaign has produced criticizing the Red Sox for their private equity ties, which he describes as an example of “Graham’s populist streak” and of Platner “talking about s*** people are p***ed off about.”
While Portnoy has criticized Boston ownership for allowing private equity to influence the team’s operations, there are a host of things one could begin blasting them for well before that. Their dreadful record and on-field efforts stand out as one of them.
After receiving no response from Portnoy, Coote sent a follow-up email, hoping to bring the head of Barstool to their side, at least on the matter in question.
That’s when Dave unloaded, suggesting he and Platner could sit down to discuss a different matter.
“Now this is the Nazi guy, right?” he replied. “Yeah, I’d be happy to talk to him about that tattoo and him (being) a Nazi. I’m not as interested in his baseball takes. Let me know when we can set up some time.”
Coote, who by outward appearances probably doesn’t know much about baseball, at least immediately recognized that Portnoy didn’t give two effs about the idea of talking ball with his guy.
And I’m still wondering why your team thought I’d want to play footsy with a guy who is a Nazi? https://t.co/DxPZp0sZSt pic.twitter.com/LItqRDIDjg
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) May 23, 2026
READ MORE: Watch — Platner Steps in It Even More When Confronted About Latest Vile Comment
Graham Platner Was Already Disgusting — These Latest Unearthed Posts Make It Much Worse
Portnoy continued to turn the tables, pressing the man behind the progressive Senate campaign’s outreach effort to accept his challenge.
“If we can get to a place where this is a productive convo, will give it a think?” Coote replied.
“What’s that mean? You reached out to a Jew to poo-poo a Nazi,” Portnoy fired back. “I’m not Bernie Sanders.”
“If your boy isn’t a Nazi and can handle me 1-on-1 in a convo, set it up. If he can’t, you should fire yourself for thinking I’d want to glamorize this clown.
Oof. Murder. First-degree.
Regrets, Coote had a few.
This email exchange is incredible.
Platner team didn’t think this one through. https://t.co/CCn69P1pVD
— Matt Whitlock (@MattWhitlock) May 23, 2026
As covered extensively here at RedState, Platner is a vile creature even beyond his Nazi-adjacent behavior (though that should be disqualifying in and of itself). He’s engaged in victim-blaming of sexual assault survivors. Posted homophobic jokes. Called rural white Americans racist and stupid. He’s even referred to himself as a card-carrying Communist.
Oh, and if Portnoy really wants to get in the weeds with this “clown,” maybe they should have their 1-on-1 discussion about his support for the Nazis with a live interview from a porta-potty. We hear Platner is a big fan of the atmospheric conditions there. A big, big fan.
More recently, Platner has been taking heat for social media comments in which he reprehensibly mocked U.S. Army Pfc. Ted Daniels, who was seen in a video being shot by the Taliban.
“This video never gets old. Dumb motherf***er didn’t deserve to live,” Platner wrote of Daniels, a father of two and Purple Heart recipient who had deliberately drawn enemy fire to protect his squad.
“At least his stupidity and fat a** wheezing are available for all future infantrymen to witness and hold in contempt,” he continued. “Poor marksmanship on the Taliban’s part is the only reason this mouthbreather made it home, he managed to make every possible s*** decision possible when it comes to small unit combat.”
Platner dug himself into a deeper hole when he was confronted by Fox News over the vile post. He opted not to apologize. One has to wonder if the media would let something like that slide from a Republican candidate.
FIRST ON FOX: Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner dodges an apology when confronted over a deleted Reddit post where he said a Purple Heart recipient “didn’t deserve to live.”
Fox News Digital asked him what he would say to offended voters — and whether he owed Pfc.… pic.twitter.com/eYyvKxKQ6c
— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 24, 2026
Platner doesn’t want to talk about smearing a wounded veteran. He doesn’t want to talk too much about that Totenkopf tattoo. But he’ll send his JV team out to try and loop Portnoy into a conversation about the Red Sox.
Maine voters need to send this millennial rube back to his oyster farm.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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