NYC Showdown: Portnoy Teases Run, Slams ‘Radicals’

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy says he “would love” to run against New York City’s far‑left mayor Zohran Mamdani, blasting what he calls “communist” policies that threaten business, safety, and common‑sense American values.^[9]

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Portnoy brands Mamdani a “communist” and “Democratic socialist” who wants to seize the means of production.^[9]
He threatens to move Barstool’s reported $600 million New York City operation if Mamdani’s agenda continues.^[1]
Portnoy slams Mamdani as “pro‑terrorist,” citing his stance on policing, Israel, and 9/11‑related debates.^[1]
He says he “would love” to run for mayor against “clown politicians” and give New Yorkers a pro‑business, pro‑America choice.^[9]

Portnoy’s Fight With New York City’s Socialist Mayor

Dave Portnoy has turned his long‑running anger at New York City politics into a direct challenge to Mayor Zohran Mamdani. In Fox News and Fox Business appearances, Portnoy tears into Mamdani as a “Democratic socialist” who is “closer to a communist” and openly talks about putting socialists in power to “seize the means of production.” For a businessman who built Barstool Sports from nothing, Portnoy says Mamdani’s ideas attack the very engine that made America prosperous and free.^[1]^[5]^[9]

Portnoy argues that Mamdani does not just dislike big corporations; he “hates capitalism” and wants a “fundamental shift in what has built this country.” He portrays Mamdani’s rise as part of a wider push to punish success through higher taxes, more regulation, and open hostility to profit and private ownership. To Portnoy, Mamdani’s proud identity as a Democratic socialist, backed by left‑wing groups, confirms that New York City’s political class is now driven by ideology instead of practical solutions for crime, jobs, and affordability.^[1]^[5]^[9]

Threat To Move Barstool And What It Means For Jobs

Portnoy is not only talking; he says he has already told Barstool’s “finance guys” to start looking at office space outside New York City. Reports describe him weighing a move of Barstool’s headquarters, valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars, out of the city if Mamdani continues on his current path. He calls New York “anti‑business” and says there is “zero value” in staying when other cities welcome employers instead of treating them as piggy banks to fund bloated government.^[1]^[3]^[5]

This kind of relocation threat is not new in American politics, but it hits especially hard in New York City, where high taxes and red tape already drive people and companies away. Research on mayors and local policy shows party labels often do not change crime or policing much, but punishing business can hollow out a tax base and weaken services over time. Portnoy warns that if Mamdani raises property taxes by almost ten percent, as he has floated, landlords, small shops, and workers will all feel the squeeze while political elites remain insulated.^[1]^[6]^[18]

Clash Over Terrorism, 9/11, And American Loyalty

Portnoy’s harshest criticism targets what he calls Mamdani’s “pro‑terrorist” leanings. On Fox platforms, he cites Mamdani’s past focus on Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s Miranda rights and his slow condemnation of Hamas as signs that Mamdani sympathizes more with radicals than with victims. In one rant, Portnoy says that in a city scarred by 9/11, Mamdani would be quicker to blame “finance people in the building than the people who flew the planes into the buildings.”^[1]^[2]

Mamdani has pushed back on some of those accusations, telling interviewers he was talking about Islamophobia his aunt faced after 9/11, not denying that the victims were victims. But a detailed study of the 2025 mayoral election shows how his comments fueled a wave of social media outrage, with tens of thousands of posts labeling him a terrorist, questioning his patriotism, and painting his socialist ideas as a form of extremist “infiltration.” For many New Yorkers and for conservatives across the country, that debate is not only about one remark; it is about whether their mayor shares their basic love for this country and its values.^[11]^[17]

Would Portnoy Really Run Against “Clown Politicians”?

Portnoy has joked for years about running for office, including a past flirtation with a Boston mayoral bid, but his language about New York City in 2025 and 2026 is more serious. In recent conversations, he said he “would love” to run against “clown politicians” like Mamdani and give voters a clear choice between a capitalist who celebrates success and a socialist who wants to tear it down. He argues that his record of building a business, creating jobs, and connecting with ordinary fans shows he understands the real‑world impact of taxes, regulations, and crime better than career politicians do.^[5]^[9]

"Dave Portnoy tells Jesse Watters he'd love to run for NYC mayor against Zohran Mamdani: 'I’ve done a lot of good in NYC — Barstool Fund, pizza places. I’ve had a real job. I’ve done real things, unlike these clown politicians who have never had a job and have never been in the… pic.twitter.com/6sGc5C9kom

— DR Hally (@HallyMaax) June 30, 2026

Still, Portnoy admits he is not sure how much would truly change if he moved Barstool or jumped into a campaign. He worries about hurting employees if he relocates and knows he would face the usual attacks that follow any outsider candidate. Yet the strong reaction to Mamdani’s win, and the broad frustration with woke politics, high energy costs, and runaway spending, suggest there is space for a candidate who speaks plainly about business, safety, and American pride. Whether Portnoy is that candidate or not, his feud with Mamdani shows that many patriots are done staying quiet while their cities drift toward socialism.^[1]^[3]^[17]