Democratic Senate candidates James Talarico of Texas and Sherrod Brown of Ohio will hold a star-studded fundraiser in New York City next Monday with filmmaker Alexis Bittar, who described the United States as a “sh*thole” one day before the country’s 250th anniversary.
Actor and producer Robert De Niro is hosting Talarico and Brown, who are vying to flip traditionally red seats blue this November, at the New York event. The invitation lists a host committee with Alexis Bittar at the top and charges attendees between $500 and $27,000.
Just a few months ago, Bittar, the jewelry designer turned activist filmmaker behind “Reclaim the Flag,” expressed deep disdain for America one day before the country’s 250th birthday milestone.
“I mean, I have three kids, and they’re little, and they’re growing up in this sh*thole,” Bittar told Interview Magazine on July 3. “So if we don’t do something now, we’re f*cked.”
Bittar was discussing why he made the 33-minute documentary with Oscar-winning filmmaker Bruce Cohen, which casts the stars and stripes as “synonymous with fear” and a source of victimization for the LGBT community.
“It’s become such a symbol of aggression, the American flag, like ‘we’re coming for you’ during Trump’s era,” Bittar told Forbes. “How tragic is this, like this is where we’re at that the ultimate symbol of the United States is now used as a weapon to bifurcate?”
The Daily Wire reached out to Bittar for comment.
Less than five minutes into Bittar’s film, musician King Princess described her relationship with the American flag, saying, “When you walk past a house that has an American flag stoked in a yard, your immediate thought as a queer person is ‘I am not welcome here,’ that it’s a sign of bigotry and it’s a sign of fear.”
Other interviewees highlighted by Bittar described the stars and stripes as a “violent symbol of hatred.” Another said people who fly the American flag would intentionally try to hit gay people with their cars.
The inflammatory comments put a spotlight on the political fundraising circles surrounding Talarico, the Democrat running for U.S. Senate in Texas, and Brown, the former Ohio senator mounting a strong comeback challenge. Talarico appears to have deep ties to Bittar’s fundraising network, which helped raise money to elect New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Then, the socialist mayor tapped Bittar to his Arts and Culture Transition Committee.
Now, the Brooklyn-based jeweler and political activist is hoping to extend his reach into the American heartland. In August, Bittar posted a selfie with Talarico, calling the Texas Democrat a “massive force” who could help flip the Senate blue.
“I love how this man can quote the bible to shut down so called ‘Christian Republicans’ ashamed of their actions they are taking against U.S. citizens,” Bittar said in an Instagram post. “I will be helping him out in the coming months to become the next Senator of Texas.”
“Americans want change now,” he added.
The Daily Wire reached out to the Talarico and Brown campaigns for comment.
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