Jewish American millionaire Sheldon Adelson published an op-ed in The Washington Post on Friday, in which he endorsed Donald Trump for president.
If Trump isn’t elected president, warned Adelson, Americans would get a third term of Barack Obama in the form of Hillary Clinton.
“While the primary cycle still has some important elections ahead, it is clear that Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee for president,” he wrote, adding, “I am endorsing Trump’s bid for president and strongly encourage my fellow Republicans — especially our Republican elected officials, party loyalists and operatives, and those who provide important financial backing — to do the same.”
“The alternative to Trump being sworn in as the nation’s 45th president is frightening,” warned Adelson.
“For nearly eight years, Republicans have fought tooth and nail against President Obama and his policies. We waged battles over debt, government spending, Obamacare and the Iran nuclear deal — an issue of paramount importance to me personally and to many others around the world.
“We gained some victories, but on too many issues Obama achieved his goals, if not necessarily America’s goals. As Republicans, we know that getting a person in the White House with an ‘R’ behind his name is the only way things will get better,” wrote Adelson.
“If Republicans do not come together in support of Trump, Obama will essentially be granted something the Constitution does not allow — a third term in the name of Hillary Clinton,” he added.
“I’ve spent time talking to Donald Trump. Do I agree with him on every issue? No. But it’s unlikely that any American agrees with his or her preferred candidate on every issue,” wrote Adelson.
The op-ed comes a week after the Jewish American billionaire said during a gala in Manhattan he will be supporting Trump now that he’s the presumptive Republican nominee for president.
“Yes, I’m a Republican, he’s a Republican. He’s our nominee. Whoever the nominee would turn out to be, any one of the 17 – he was one of the 17. He won fair and square,” said Adelson.
He added that Trump “will be good for Israel.”
Adelson’s support for Trump comes after the billionaire did not officially endorse any candidate during the Republican presidential primaries, even though he expressed willingness to back Trump in March.
That willingness came despite an initial altercation between the two in October, when Trump took aim at Adelson and wrote on Twitter that the billionaire wanted to make Senator Mark Rubio (R-FL) “his perfect little puppet” in the Republican race.
However, the two met in December and apparently sorted out their differences. Adelson later said they discussed Israel, and said he found Trump to be “very charming.”
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)