Dave Portnoy backs Kraft "1000%" and calls Macklemore an "anti-Semitic 9-11 truther"
Dave PortnoyFounder of Barstool Sports, commenting publicly on his own verified X account
In a post and attached 5:24 video on September 16, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy backed Robert Kraft's refusal to host Macklemore at Gillette Stadium, saying he did so "1000%" in the post text and "110%" in the video. He described Macklemore as an "anti-Semitic 9-11 truther," citing the rapper's 2014 costume, remarks Portnoy characterised as 9/11 conspiracy theorising, and Macklemore's use of the word genocide twelve days after the October 7 attacks. Portnoy argued the removal was not censorship because Kraft owns the venue, said Kraft has spent a decade fighting antisemitism, and urged more Jewish public figures to speak out, predicting Kraft would face abuse for it. Portnoy's characterisations of Macklemore and his account of the Gaza war are his own.
“I back Robert Kraft banning Macklemore from performing at Gillette 1000% and thank him for having a spine when many others in his shoes don't. … And Macklemore, this anti-Semitic 9-11 truther who's now turning this into a political rally, you're going to come into Bob Kraft's house and spit in his face? No fucking way. That's not censorship. … He owns the stadium. It's his house.”
Original post
Where this statement fits
Macklemore’s “Free Palestine” speech and removal from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour
At two Ed Sheeran concerts at MetLife Stadium, Macklemore called for a free Palestine, accused Israel of apartheid and genocide, and said criticism of Israel was not criticism of Jewish people. After venue objections, tour promoter Messina Touring Group said he would not perform the remaining U.S. Loop Tour dates. Critics characterized the performance as hostile or inappropriate; Macklemore defended it as a call for equal treatment.
Source and context
Original post
About this source
First-party post from Dave Portnoy's verified X account, timestamped 5:18 PM on September 16, 2026, with an attached 5:24 video. In the video Portnoy recounts Macklemore's 2014 costume, calls him an "anti-Semitic 9-11 truther," argues Kraft's refusal is a property-owner's decision rather than censorship, says he stands with Kraft "110%" and urges more Jews to speak out. Quotations transcribed from the video audio. Portnoy's characterisations of Macklemore and of the Gaza war are his own. Note that secondary write-ups render the figure inconsistently — TMZ as "100%" and HITC as "110%" — while the post text says 1000% and the video says 110%; these are different statements in the same post.
Before the quotation
Portnoy opens the video by saying he has to "weigh in real quick on this Bob Kraft, Ed Sheeran, Macklemore controversy that is raging," and recounts that Kraft learned Macklemore was using the opening slot for what Portnoy calls a pro-Free Palestine rally, with the Palestinian flag and war imagery on the screens. He then says Kraft, like him, researched Macklemore and found what Portnoy calls a shady past, including the 2014 costume for which Macklemore apologised.
After the quotation
Portnoy says Macklemore's set omitted what precipitated the war and the Israelis killed on October 7, argues Hamas would kill every Jew if it could, and criticises the support acts who withdrew, naming Finneas. He closes: "More Jews have to speak out… but you need more people to stand up for what they believe in. That's why I'm making this video… I have his back 100 million percent."
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Portnoy condemns the speech and the speaker directly, calling Macklemore an "anti-Semitic 9-11 truther" and saying his set turned the concert into a political rally, and he endorses the removal as a property owner's prerogative rather than censorship. That places him with Greenblatt (591, 592), StopAntisemitism (593) and Elan Carr (777), who condemn the speech. The closest competing label is “Challenged the characterization”, on the basis that much of the video disputes the "censorship" framing; it loses because the passage goes on to express a clear substantive condemnation of the conduct itself rather than only contesting a label.
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- People and groups discussed
- Macklemore, Robert Kraft
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“To push back when the call for a Free Palestine is met with attempts to silence it.”Read statement
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- Dave Portnoy backs Kraft "1000%" and calls Macklemore an "anti-Semitic 9-11 truther"
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The Dispute Index. "Dave Portnoy backs Kraft "1000%" and calls Macklemore an "anti-Semitic 9-11 truther"". First published: 2026-09-17. Last updated: 2026-09-22. https://disputeindex.com/events/951-in-a-post-and-attached-5-24-video