Democratic Senate Hopefuls Embrace Fundraiser Host Who Trashed America as a Shithole

When your party’s rising stars need money, apparently they turn to someone who thinks this country is a shithole. That’s not hyperbole. That’s a direct quote from Alexis Bittar, the celebrity jewelry designer who just hosted a glitzy Manhattan fundraiser for Democratic Senate candidates Sherrod Brown and James Talarico. The contribution levels ranged from $500 to $27,000, because nothing says “I care about working Americans” quite like sipping champagne with someone who peddles luxury accessories to Beyoncé and Lady Gaga.

Bittar didn’t just slip up in an unguarded moment. He went on record in a July interview discussing his three young kids and declared they’re “growing up in this shithole” before adding that if Americans don’t act now, “we’re fucked.” Strong words from someone whose jewelry has adorned Michelle Obama and Rihanna. You’d think a guy who built an empire selling high-end baubles to the elite might have a slightly rosier view of the country that made his success possible, but here we are.

The American flag itself hasn’t escaped Bittar’s contempt. He told Forbes that the Stars and Stripes became “a symbol of aggression” during Trump’s era, lamenting how the right “co-opted” it. This is the tired progressive script we’ve heard a thousand times. When conservatives wave the flag, it’s threatening. When the left wants it back, suddenly they’re freedom fighters reclaiming stolen ground. The mental gymnastics would be impressive if they weren’t so transparent.

What’s particularly revealing is Bittar’s comfort with the socialist label. He’s not one of those Democrats who distances himself from the word, carefully parsing policy positions to avoid scaring suburban moderates. No, this guy goes full throttle. “Hey people, it’s voting time! Bringing in all the Democrat Socialists! Let’s change America!” he posted on Instagram while stumping for various candidates. In another video with Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, Bittar declared that “traditional Democrats have one foot in the grave” and “the revolution has begun.” That’s not dog whistle politics. That’s a bullhorn.

Brown and Talarico standing shoulder to shoulder with this guy tells you everything about where the Democratic Party is headed. Brown, who’s been playing the moderate working-class hero for decades in Ohio, apparently sees no problem cashing checks from someone who views America as fundamentally broken and oppressive. Talarico, the Texas representative already under fire from Laura Ingraham for his progressive positions on gender identity and parental rights, seems determined to confirm every suspicion conservatives have about his actual values.

The whole thing reeks of that coastal elite disconnect that keeps costing Democrats elections in places that actually matter. You can’t run as champions of the forgotten American worker while taking money from Manhattan socialites who think this country is garbage. Well, you can try, but voters aren’t stupid. They notice when your fundraiser hosts live in a completely different reality than the one regular people inhabit.

Robert De Niro was also listed among the high-powered hosts, which tracks perfectly. Another multimillionaire who’s made his fortune in America while spending recent years trashing everything about it. These are the people shaping Democratic politics now, the ones writing the checks and setting the agenda. They’re not interested in incremental progress or building coalitions. They want revolution, their word not mine, and they’re willing to burn down traditional Democratic values to get it.

You have to wonder what Ohio voters think when they see Sherrod Brown at events like this. Or Texas voters watching Talarico cozy up to someone who despises the flag they still salute. Maybe those voters don’t care. Maybe the money matters more than the message. But I doubt it. Americans can smell authenticity from a mile away, and they can smell its opposite just as easily.

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