'How they waited this long is insanity, and they’re trying to hijack, basically, democracy,' Portnoy says
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy accused Democrat leadership of attempting to "hijack" democracy after President Biden announced his decision on Sunday to suspend his bid for re-election amid mounting pressure from within his own party.
In a video posted to X, Portnoy called the decision to withdraw from the campaign the "right move," but he criticized the timing of it.
Dave Portnoy looks on prior to Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics at American Airlines Center in Dallas on June 14, 2024. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
"They whacked Joe when the powers that be sent him out for that debate with Trump. They knew what we’ve known forever if you have two eyes and a brain: that he was a lettuce head, a vegetable," Portnoy said.
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"It’s the right move, he shouldn’t run. It’s not for the right reasons. Like, he has been this way for years and the Democrats have been hiding it. Then they’re like, ‘Well, he probably can’t beat Trump, so we got to get somebody else in there.’ How they waited this long, so now what? They can hand-pick basically who their replacement is going to be?"
He continued, "How they waited this long is insanity, and they’re trying to hijack, basically, democracy. They’re not letting people vote. It goes to the convention, it’s insane, because he’s been this way before he went and ran. That in itself is f---ing crazy."
Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports is seen during the UFC 281 event at Madison Square Garden in New York City on November 12, 2022. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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Portnoy went on to criticize the decision to withdraw from the presidential race but remain in office despite concerns about Biden’s mental acuity.
He doubled down on his claim in a series of posts on X, calling it "insane and calculated."
It also doesn't really matter if it's Kamala, Newsom, Whitmer etc. The point is the same. A small select group of people decided they get to handpick the Presidential candidate rather than have people vote for the candidate. It's insane and calculated. https://t.co/WTLmmmEodR
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) July 21, 2024
Biden, 81, said he will formally address the nation this week about his decision.
President Biden (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin/File)
"It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president. While it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interests of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term," he said on Sunday.
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
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Paulina Dedaj is a Sports Reporter for Fox News Digital.
