Democratic Senate candidates Brown and Talarico headline New York fundraiser hosted by jewelry designer Alexis Bittar

Democratic Senate candidates Sherrod Brown, running in Ohio, and James Talarico, running in Texas, appeared at a New York City fundraiser Monday evening hosted by jewelry designer Alexis Bittar, according to Fox News Digital, which cited reporting from the Washington Free Beacon. Actor Robert De Niro was also listed among the hosts on the invitation.

Fox News Digital's report focused heavily on remarks Bittar made in separate media interviews during 2025. In a July interview promoting a documentary about the American flag, Bittar said, "I have three kids, and they're little, and they're growing up in this s---hole. So if we don't do something now, we're f---ed." In a separate Forbes interview the same month, Bittar described the American flag as having become "a symbol of aggression" during President Trump's political rise, adding: "It's become such a symbol of aggression, the American flag, like 'we're coming for you' during Trump's era."

Bittar has been active in progressive Democratic politics, according to Fox News Digital. He was among donors who gave the maximum amount to support New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's transition and served on the mayor's Arts and Culture transition committee, as previously reported by Gothamist. Bittar also hosted a fundraiser for Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and, in an August Instagram video with El-Sayed, stated that "the traditional Democrats have one foot in the grave" and that "the revolution has begun." In a separate Instagram post urging voters to support various New York candidates, Bittar wrote: "Hey people … it's voting time!!! Bringing in all the Democrat Socialists!! Let's change America…!"