Here’s What Barstool’s Dave Portnoy Gets Wrong In His Rant About Coronavirus Restrictions

TOPLINE

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy took to social media on Thursday to rant about coronavirus restrictions and the changing priorities of health officials he says want to keep people at home until there is a virus cure — even though high level health officials have laid out their advice differently.

KEY FACTS

(Portnoy has not yet responded to immediate requests for comment.)

Tangent

Barstool’s revenue has been hit hard by the pandemic due to the absence of sports, with the Daily Beast reporting the popular sports blog is “hemorrhaging money.” 

Crucial quote

During his Senate testimony Tuesday, Fauci also said he was worried he would see “little spikes” in infections turn into “outbreaks” as states begin to reopen. 

Chief critic

Portnoy added that some Americans would need to “take risks” to save the battered economy. 

“You can’t just make everybody stay inside and basically start over,” Portnoy said. “It’s insane! What the f— do they think is gonna happen? … There are no great options, but you can’t decimate the entire economy! How the f— is that gonna work?”

Key background

Several high profile Republicans have criticized Fauci’s standing in recent weeks, as the health official continues to stress concerns about states reopening. Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) took aim at Fauci at a Senate hearing on Tuesday, telling him he wasn’t “the end-all.” And President Trump questioned the health official’s standing after Dr. Fauci expressed concern about reopening schools on Tuesday, saying that was “not an acceptable answer.” 

The split over views of Fauci at this stage of the pandemic highlights the partisan debate over balancing health concerns with the need to resuscitate the economy. Trump and other Republicans have been more aggressive about reopening the country, while calling out Democratic governors they say have been too restrictive with their coronavirus stay-at-home orders. On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell accused Democratic governors of being “drunk with power” in preferring to keep people “locked up” at home with coronavirus restrictions. Stuck in the middle are health officials, like Fauci, who have tried to stay out of the partisan bickering while simultaneously warning about the ominous consequences of lifting restrictions too soon.  

Further reading

These 41 States Aren’t Testing Enough For Coronavirus To Safely Reopen, Experts Say (Forbes)

87% Of The States That Have Reopened Voted For Trump In 2016 (Forbes)