Dave Portnoy wanted nothing to do with Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner’s campaign, and he made sure everyone knew why.
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.” (RELATED: Governor Drops Out Of Senate Race, Leaving Only The Dem With Questionable Tattoos)
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.”
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
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.
Platner reached this point as the presumptive Democratic nominee against Republican Sen. Susan Collins. He claimed the spot after Gov. Janet Mills abandoned her own bid last month, the Bangor Daily News reported. The ad fiasco capped a difficult run for the first-time candidate.