Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy admitted he would “absolutely” vote for the Democrats in the 2026 midterm elections if President Trump continues to rattle the economy with his sweeping tariff war.
The 48-year-old, who voted for Trump in the last election, told CNN Wednesday that he would still give the commander-in-chief a chance to prove his sweeping levies — but wouldn’t rule out jumping ship if the stock market continues to flounder.
Asked if he’d be willing to ditch the GOP if the market doesn’t improve, Portnoy responded: “Yeah, absolutely.”
“I was never some crazy MAGA guy,” the Barstool honcho added.
“It’s uncomfortable anytime the stock market is like this and you’re invested in it, it’s certainly uncomfortable. But I stand with it,” he added.
“You know, he ran on tariffs. He said he was a tariff fan. And I don’t pretend to be an economist. I don’t think I realized that we’d have this market crash. I don’t think most people did.”
The sports pundit predicted the midterms would be a deciding factor for many.
“I think he believes in what he’s doing and trying to basically strong-arm China and get better deals for the US. I’m willing to still give him time,” he said.
“I think the big date is the midterms, which is a long time out. But I do think that in this country, the number one issue, no matter what is going on, is the economy. And if the stock market doesn’t show some signs of rebound or rebounding by then, I think people will speak with their vote.”
Portnoy has revealed he lost a staggering $7 million in stocks and crypto in the initial market plunge following Trump’s April 2 “Liberation Day” announcement.
Days later, Portnoy estimated the toll to be likely closer to $20 million — up to 15% of his net worth.
