Dave Portnoy was filming one of his One Bite pizza reviews in Starkville, Mississippi when a passerby shouted a vile antisemitic comment at him, an outburst that was captured on video and swiftly circulated online. Portnoy confronted the heckler on camera while bystanders loudly rebuked the attacker, proving that decent Americans will still stand up to public hatred. The incident is another ugly example of a pattern that has moved beyond isolated taunts into something more aggressive and social-media amplified.
Portnoy told CBS that the abuse has shifted from occasional barbs to daily attacks, saying it is “every day now” and that people are bringing “real hate” into public life. That blunt admission from a prominent Jewish businessman and cultural figure should shock anyone who claims antisemitism is a fringe problem. Conservatives should not shy away from naming the threat when it appears; tolerating even casual bigotry corrodes civic norms and invites worse behavior.
This recent episode fits into a troubling string of incidents involving Portnoy, from a racist sign displayed during bottle service at one of his bars to another heckling episode while filming in Toronto earlier in the year. Portnoy initially responded to the bar incident by demanding accountability and even proposing education at Auschwitz for those involved, a response that underscored both the seriousness of the offense and his desire for corrective remedies rather than mere social-media outrage. Americans of every political stripe should agree that ignorance and cowardly provocateurs deserve robust consequences, not applause.
The swift condemnation from nearby patrons shows that most people reject this kind of hatred, but the louder issue is why a minority feels empowered to speak in such terms in public. The internet and cancel-era abnormal incentives have created echo chambers where bile is normalized, and too many elites prefer performative regret over real solutions. If conservatives are serious about protecting free speech, we must also be serious about protecting citizens from intimidation and mob behavior that targets religion or ethnicity.
Practical steps are needed: local law enforcement should take threats and public harassment seriously, platforms must enforce community standards without ideological double standards, and civic leaders should teach the next generation why respect for religious minorities is foundational to a free society. Portnoy’s experience is a wake-up call that cultural rot has consequences; shrugging it off as inevitable only hands victory to the small but loud extremists. Americans who value decency and order must demand accountability from institutions and individuals alike.
Conservatives should lead the charge in defending American pluralism and standing shoulder to shoulder with Jewish neighbors whenever they are attacked. We believe in the dignity of every citizen and in a country where insults do not become a tolerated norm. This episode is shameful, but it can also be a rallying moment for those who still believe in civic courage and common decency.
