adminThe footage that went viral this week is as ugly as it is clear: while filming his One Bite pizza review in Starkville, Dave Portnoy was met by a passerby who hurled an antisemitic slur and disrupted the shoot, forcing a confrontation in public. Portnoy, who is Jewish, pushed back on camera as bystanders condemned the outburst, and the episode quickly became national news.
The video shows the heckler not only shouting “Fuck the Jews” but also reportedly tossing coins in Portnoy’s direction, a cowardly act that turned a silly internet bit into a hate incident. Witnesses on the scene called the behavior reprehensible and intervened, proving most Americans still know right from wrong even when fringe actors try to normalize hate.
Local law enforcement moved after the clip circulated: a 20-year-old Mississippi State student, identified as Patrick McClintock, was arrested and charged with disturbing the peace and later withdrew from the university amid the fallout. Authorities reminded the public that while offensive words can be protected speech, actions that disrupt public order or threaten safety will be dealt with under the law.
Portnoy didn’t cower — he called the episode what it is and publicly pressed for accountability, even sharing the suspect’s photo and labeling him a loser as the story unfolded. This isn’t theater; it’s the reality for Jewish Americans and others who are increasingly finding intolerance shoved into public life, and Portnoy’s blunt reaction reflected a wider frustration that too many in media and on campus treat such incidents as mere talking points rather than crimes.
Let’s be clear: conservatives defend free speech, but free speech does not mean free-from-consequence behavior that endangers others or crosses into harassment and intimidation. Colleges that rush to virtue-signal while allowing an atmosphere where students feel emboldened to hurl slurs are failing their duty to protect the campus community and failing the families who pay tuition. We should expect better from our institutions and our media alike.
If law enforcement followed through on the arrest and prosecutors pursue the case, it will send a necessary message: bigotry will not be tolerated, and the rule of law still matters in stabilizing public life. The Starkville police made the right call reminding citizens that disruptive conduct can be chargeable, but elected officials and university leaders also need to step up and show leadership instead of hiding behind platitudes.
This episode isn’t isolated — Portnoy has faced similar antisemitic heckling before while filming, showing a pattern that can’t be ignored or dismissed as isolated malcontents. Conservatives must lead here: call out hatred wherever it appears, demand accountability from campuses and the courts, and stand with victims rather than the mobs that excuse or amplify this kind of behavior.
