Mo Khan says he didn’t make the sign. He didn’t order it, didn’t endorse it, and didn’t mean to spark a national firestorm. He just uploaded it to Instagram — as a journalist, of course.

That’s the story Khan is sticking to after a video went viral showing a sign that read "Fuck the Jews" being held aloft inside Dave Portnoy’s Barstool Sports Bar in Philadelphia, with Khan reportedly among those involved.

Following intense public backlash and widespread condemnation, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy rescinded an offer to send Khan on an educational trip to Auschwitz, calling him a “flat liar” and accusing him of privately admitting guilt before lawyering up and fundraising online.

Now, in an exclusive interview with Rift TV, Khan is pushing back, warning he is the victim of overreach by a powerful media mogul, a runaway cancel culture, and what he describes as an exaggerated response to what he insists was an act of "documentation."

"I simply just reported on it,” Khan told Rift TV host Sarah Stock. "Ended up putting it on my Instagram story… come to find out two hours later, all hell broke loose."

The sign, held up by two men and a waitress, sparked national outrage, got people fired, and ignited a firestorm over free speech, antisemitism, and cancel culture.

Khan, who previously described himself as a "citizen journalist" in a now-deleted Instagram post, insisted that he did not design or order the sign and was merely documenting what was happening.

"As far as I’m concerned, I don’t know who made it," Khan said. "I simply just reported on it. Ended up putting it on my Instagram story and watched it. Come to find out two hours later, it blew up."

He claimed that there was no deep political message behind his post: "It was more just a journalist-type of view situation that a lot of people do consider messed up. So I was just bringing attention."

But when pressed about whether he agreed with the message of the sign, Khan’s explanation shifted.

"It’s less about saying 'fuck the Jews' and more about bringing attention to, like I said, what is going on in Palestine, the Middle East," Khan said. "It isn’t necessarily about the message saying ‘fuck the Jews,’ as much as it was bringing attention to the actions that Israel—yeah."

Asked why the sign used the word "Jews" rather than "Zionists," Khan deflected responsibility: "I didn’t come up with the sign. I was really in charge of putting the design on the sign. It was more of me documenting what was happening… that’s the reason why."

Khan went on to blast what he sees as a cancel culture gone haywire, suggesting his Muslim identity played a role in the backlash.

"It has a lot to do with the fact that… more and more people get offended by things that aren’t as meaningful," he said. "Me and my friends have always had camaraderie… it kind of begs the question: where do you draw the line?"

He accused Portnoy, who has built his brand railing against cancel culture, of hypocrisy.

"A guy that’s so prominently against cancel culture, going out of his way to make sure that a young college kid has no chance of escaping getting canceled," Khan said. "That’s what begs us, people that don’t agree, to come together and show that we’ll all be united together in fighting cancel culture."

When asked how he would respond if the roles were reversed and someone held a "Fuck Muslims" sign in a Muslim-owned bar, Khan emphasized shared accountability over public outrage.

"Ultimately, I would be upset, but I’d also know that a lot of the responsibility lies on me as the owner of the bar," he said. "How did I even allow something like this to come out in the first place?"

He added: "I don’t think I would be blasting it on social media… ruining a young kid’s reputation over something that I would even look at as an edgy joke."

On the broader debate over double standards, Khan acknowledged a perceived imbalance in how different groups are treated when targeted by offensive language.

"To an extent, I think that does happen," Khan said. "In this situation with the Jewish community, it’s definitely showing… there definitely is a large amount of backlash that I don’t think I should be deserving, especially after the multiple explanations I’ve given."

Khan also responded to criticism over tagging another individual, Mike Wade, in the viral video—someone who has since claimed he wasn’t even present.

"We were all just out and about all day," Khan said. "I barely even remember posting the video… I could’ve tagged anyone, for God’s sake. It was pretty much just like tomfoolery… kind of just like a report."

Despite his insistence that he had no role in creating the sign and meant no harm, Temple University has suspended Khan, and Philadelphia police have confirmed an ongoing investigation.

Meanwhile, his GiveSendGo fundraiser — which Khan says was created in response to harassment and threats — has raised over $15,000.

As for Dave Portnoy? He’s not buying Khan’s explanations.

"This dude is a flat liar," he posted earlier this week, accusing Khan of admitting guilt in a phone call before "lawyering up."

But in Khan’s telling, it’s not hate speech—it’s misunderstood "camaraderie," documentation, and cancel culture run amok.

Either way, the lesson seems clear: if you’re going to hold—or film—an antisemitic sign in a Jewish celebrity’s bar, don’t be surprised when the internet treats you like you just firebombed a synagogue.