Dave Portnoy admits he was forced to employ 24/7 security for the first time in his life earlier this year after receiving some ‘truly horrific messages’ online.
The Barstool Sports chief is one of many high-profile figures to have spoken out on the assassination of Charlie Kirk, which has rocked America to its core this week.
Kirk, a 31-year-old conservative activist and married father of two, was shot and killed while speaking to students at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, with the suspect still at large amid an ongoing FBI manhunt.
On the latest episode of Barstool’s The Unnamed Show podcast, Portnoy opened up on his final encounter with the MAGA influencer after revealing they crossed paths two months ago.
And one of the questions he had for Kirk was about his level of protection when heading to colleges to discuss such controversial topics.
‘I asked him about security,’ Portnoy recalled. ‘I was like, “How do you do this on college campuses? Do you have massive security?” And he was like, “Yeah I travel with a big security detail.” He certainly was aware of the risks.’
Dave Portnoy has revealed he was forced to employ a 24/7 security team earlier this year
The Barstool Sports chief was speaking in the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk in Utah
Portnoy then explained how, after a clip of his blazing argument with Unnamed Show cohost Kirk Minihane went viral earlier this year, he ramped up his own security after receiving disturbing messages on social media over the video.
‘People who have no idea who I am, really no idea [of] you, aren’t involved… and I’m getting truly horrific messages,’ he told Minihane.
‘It doesn’t really bother me, but I think said during that time, I had for the first time in my life 24/7 security, because all it takes is one lunatic.’
Kirk’s death has sparked controversy in America after a number of the right-wing commentator’s critics appeared to celebrate his death on Wednesday.
NFL franchise the Carolina Panthers have fired a junior employee after he disgustingly mocked the assassination on Instagram, with several left-wing social media fanatics also saying Kirk ‘deserved’ to be shot.
Portnoy added: ‘We live in a world even after this shooting [where] people are celebrating it on social media, they’re acting like it’s a good thing.
‘It happened when we saw the healthcare guy [Brian Thompson] get murdered, and you can totally disagree with healthcare and things that are going on, but people were acting like that murderer [Luigi Mangione] was a hero.
Kirk was shot and killed while speaking with students at a Q&A event at Utah Valley University
‘It’s insane. It’s a scary time and it has been for a little bit.’
Kirk, a married father of two, was hit by a single bullet while speaking to a crowd at the public university in Orem. He collapsed immediately after and was rushed to hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
While two suspects were initially captured, it was later revealed that the shooter has not yet been found and a major manhunt has been launched by the FBI and Utah police.
Kirk leaves behind wife Erika Frantzve, with whom he had a three-year-old daughter and a son, 16 months. The couple celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary in May.
For more on this story – follow Daily Mail podcast ‘The Assassination of Charlie Kirk,’ out now wherever you get your podcasts or on YouTube.
