Nazi-Linked Democrat Wanted Help From Barstool Sports. This Is What He Got Instead.

Few outlets on the web offer a more direct pipeline to the young-adult male demographic than Barstool Sports.

So it might not be surprising that a Democrat running for US Senate in Maine might want to team up with the company and its “El Presidente” Dave Portnoy.

But when Graham Platner, who has come under fire for all sorts of things including a tattoo bearing an apparent Nazi symbol, asked for help amplifying his message to the Barstool audience, Portnoy’s response wasn’t what he was hoping for.

The Daily Caller provided this report:

The Barstool Sports founder published a string of emails on X showing that the Maine Democrat’s team had tried to recruit him to amplify a new campaign ad attacking the Boston Red Sox over private equity. Portnoy turned them down and went further, questioning why anyone thought he would, in his words, “play footsy with a guy who is a Nazi.” He offered instead to sit down with Platner to talk about the candidate’s tattoo and “him being a Nazi.”

That label traces back to a tattoo Platner once wore on his chest. The design resembled an SS symbol used in Nazi Germany, and Platner has since covered it, saying he never knew its meaning, according to The Hill. He has called himself a “lifelong opponent” of Nazism, antisemitism and racism, and Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen defended him by telling Punchbowl News that “people should have second chances.”

The ad behind the outreach ran into its own trouble. NESN, the network airing it during a Red Sox broadcast, stopped the spot midgame and said it broke the station’s rules through “unauthorized use of third-party intellectual property,” the Bangor Daily News reported. John Henry’s Fenway Sports Group holds a majority stake in the network. Platner’s camp suggested the message itself drove the decision, a convenient claim that the network’s stated reason undercuts.

Here are a few of the highlights from the responses to Portnoy’s social media post:

Everything the democrat does or says about the right, they are guilty of. Who in their right mind vote for Platner, a Nazi who called himself a communist. Just look at his vile texts and etc, this man is sick.

— Muriel (@Feliciena) May 25, 2026

Ok let’s assume he isn’t lying about the tat and he didn’t know what it means, then he is too stupid to be a US senator. Either way he isn’t Qualified. Only a democrat like Van Hollen would be ok with him and every illegal criminal he can find to use as a poster boy.

— What? (@What77234490831) May 25, 2026

It's amazing that they call us Nazis constantly, and yet they're endorsing an actual Nazi lover!
The hypocrisy is incredible.

— Dan Johnson (@DanJohn09958673) May 25, 2026

The latest social media dust-up is also receiving local coverage, including from the Maine Wire:

Portnoy’s response carried particular political weight because he was not simply a celebrity commentator pulled randomly into a campaign dispute. As the founder of Barstool Sports, Portnoy has built a national following around sports, popular culture and commentary while maintaining an especially strong connection to Boston sports fans, precisely the type of audience Platner’s Red Sox-themed ad appeared designed to reach.

The episode also arrived at the end of a damaging week for Platner’s campaign, as additional posts from a deleted Reddit account he has acknowledged owning drew renewed scrutiny.

Fox News reported Tuesday that archived posts from Platner’s former Reddit account included graphic sexual comments about masturbating in portable toilets and explicit praise for vulgar graffiti found in a military portable restroom. Platner has previously responded to questions about controversial posts by saying he was joking and engaging in online provocation.

And here’s some additional coverage of Platner’s controversial campaign:

“THE PEOPLE OF MAINE ARE FINALLY FIGURING OUT WHO GRAHAM PLATNER REALLY IS.”@TheMaineWire reporter Jon Fetherston says "The more you learn about Graham Platner, the creepier it gets." pic.twitter.com/UpqcTkTAn8

— The Will Cain Show (@WillCainShow) May 22, 2026