‘New York’s first pro-circumcision candidate’: GOP candidate’s odd flier goes viral, and some believe it’s actually satire

A political flier promoting Republican congressional candidate Anthony Constantino has gone viral on Reddit after a user claimed to have received it at a Fourth of July parade in Washington County, New York. The flier, which reportedly promotes male circumcision as a campaign issue, has left many online users confused about whether it is a genuine campaign material or a parody made by his opponents.

The post was shared by Reddit user Donnyskipper on r/upstate_new_york, where it quickly gained hundreds of upvotes and sparked a large number of comments. Constantino won the Republican nomination for New York’s 21st congressional district, according to several users in the comment sections who provided that context.

A second flier, also shared by Donnyskipper, this time on r/LateStageCapitalism, purportedly showed another piece of campaign material promoting robot-powered farming. The user claimed to have found this one outside their home in upstate New York. Both fliers appear to be connected to Constantino’s campaign, though their true origin is disputed.

Reddit users debate whether the fliers are genuine campaign material or opposition satire

Several commenters suggested the fliers are not actually made by Constantino’s campaign but are instead the work of opponents trying to mock him. One user on r/upstate_new_york pointed out that the donation link on the circumcision flier’s associated website reportedly redirects to the Immigrant Defense Project’s donation page, which they said suggests the materials are satirical.

A user on r/LateStageCapitalism similarly claimed the fliers were “made by this dumb dude’s opposition in the area,” also citing the Immigrant Defense Project donation link as evidence.

Not everyone agreed. One commenter on r/upstate_new_york who said they live in the area wrote, “Living in the area, unfortunately it’s not satire. And I’m terrified he’s going to win.” Another user described Constantino as “a total trump brained douchebag,” suggesting they view him as a genuine candidate rather than a satirical creation.

The confusion between real and fake was a recurring theme across both threads. “Genuinely cannot tell if this is satire. This guy is such a f—–g bozo,” wrote one commenter on r/upstate_new_york. Another user echoed the sentiment, writing, “I…is this supposed to make people want to vote for this clown?” in the r/LateStageCapitalism thread. In another case, a Michigan Senate candidate’s campaign posted an AI-altered photo to appear more muscular.

The circumcision flier also drew attention to an eagle symbol at the bottom of the design. One commenter on r/upstate_new_york asked, “whats up with those eagles at the bottom though,” while a user on r/LateStageCapitalism asked, “Is that an Iron Eagle?” – a reference to imagery historically associated with far-right movements. Several users in the replies appeared to confirm the symbol’s presence, though the exact nature of the imagery could not be independently verified based on the available information.

The robot farming flier drew its own share of skepticism. One commenter on r/LateStageCapitalism noted they could not find any information about the “Americans for Robotic Agriculture” organization referenced in the flier, writing, “I’m guessing that’s an organization of one.”

Another user questioned the practicality of the proposal, arguing that even with robots, farms still require a labor force for tasks that technology cannot yet replace. A similar scrutiny occurred for a Maine Senate candidate who deleted years of Reddit posts before his campaign.

The title of the circumcision flier reportedly reads “New York’s first pro-circumcision candidate,” a phrase that many users found baffling as a campaign message. “Quite a few were confused as to the point,” as reactions across both subreddits showed users struggling to understand what political purpose the issue would serve. One commenter on r/upstate_new_york wrote, “It’s very bold for him to even assume that, I’m pretty sure he’s probably at least the 3rd,” appearing to joke about the claim of being the “first.”

Whether the fliers originated from Constantino’s actual campaign or from opponents attempting to embarrass him, they appear to have achieved wide circulation and mockery online. Constantino has not been quoted in any of the source material addressing the fliers directly, and it remains unclear based on available information whether his campaign has responded to their spread on social media.