Donald Trump has accepted an invitation to appear next week at a massive charity event for victims of terror organized by the Republican Hindu Coalition.
The event will take place in New Jersey less than a week after the Republican presidential nominee and Hillary Clinton square off in their second one-on-one debate, and will be hosted by a prominent GOP businessman who previously contributed nearly $900,000 to the Trump campaign’s joint fundraising fund with the Republican National Committee.
“A lot of people think that Trump is somewhat of a racist,” said RHC President Shalli Kumar. “His partnership with the Republican Hindu Coalition will set that aside.”
The purpose of the Humanity United Against Terrorism Charity Event is to “raise funds for victims of terror throughout the world with particular emphasis on Kashmiri Pundits and Hindu refugees from Bangladesh,” according to its website.
“I am very much looking forward to speaking to thousands of Indian-Americans and others about making America great again,” Trump said in a pre-recorded video message. “I look forward to seeing everybody there. It will be an incredible evening.”
Kumar has assisted the Trump campaign with its outreach to Indian-Americans and recently defended the GOP nominee as a friend of immigrants despite his sharp rhetoric toward refugees and minorities.
“Mr. Trump is a businessman — he has no bone in his body, not a drop of blood that is anti-immigrant,” Kumar told Reuters. “He wants to have legal, skills-based immigration.”
