GOP giver says Jewish community ire forced him to drop Trump

Ron Kampeas

Donald Trump

Donald Trump speaking during the evening session on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention, July 21, 2016. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (JTA) — A prominent Jewish Republican donor is no longer backing Donald Trump, saying his support made him unpopular in Seattle’s Jewish community.

“Do you know what it’s like being a Jewish Republican in Seattle?” Martin Selig, a developer and a member of the Republican Jewish Coalition board, told the Seattle Times this week. “The repercussions of what you hear from people is stunning.”

Selig had appeared as a co-host on an invitation to a fundraiser on Tuesday for the Republican presidential nominee. Selig said he was withdrawing from the fundraiser and would not donate money to nor vote for Trump as result of community blow-back.

Selig said he would write in a candidate. Selig’s earlier endorsement of Trump was underwhelming; he had said he was supporting him by default, after Trump, a reality TV star and developer, defeated an array of establishment GOP candidates.

Trump’s broadsides against immigrants and Muslims as well as his equivocation on support for Israel have made him unpopular with many Jewish Republicans.

Other Seattle Republicans named on the invitation have also disavowed Trump, according to the Times.