Pressure from the Jewish community has apparently forced a prominent Republican Jewish Seattle Jewish developer to back away from plans to support GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Republican Jewish Coalition member Martin Selig had planned to co-host a fundraiser for the Republican nominee, but was quoted by the Seattle Times as saying that backlash from local Jews was so overwhelming he cancelled his participation. “Do you know what it’s like to be a Jewish Republican in Seattle?” he told the newspaper. Likewise, other prominent Republicans listed as co-hosts on the invitation for the event also reportedly backed out.
But at the end 150 donors attended the fundraiser held before a 7 pm rally, and Trump raised more than $1 million at the event according to state Republican Party Chairman Susan Hutchison. Weeks ahead, Vancouver billionaire Ken Fisher and his wife Sherrilyn gave a combined $50,000 and developer Clyde Holland donated $94,600 to the Trump Victory Fund, according to a report by the Seattle Times earlier in the month.
Although no top Washington GOP candidates or politicians were with Trump on state at the rally that followed, other national big names were there instead, including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus and Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, who all spoke.
Trump is set to meet with Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto just hours before he is set to deliver a major speech about his proposed immigration policy. Nieto said he extended the same invitation to both U.S. presidential candidates.