Lena Epstein

A Michigan country club’s board allegedly cancelled a campaign fundraiser for Republican congressional candidate Lena Epstein over her support for President Trump, The Detroit News reported.

Epstein is running for the GOP nomination in Michigan’s 11th district after co-chairing Trump’s 2016 campaign in the state. Epstein said the fundraiser had been confirmed with the Franklin Hills Country Club, which her family had belonged to for generations. She noted that the club hosted a fundraiser for Democrat Suneel Gupta last month.

“I will not let this unfortunate situation deter me from continuing to support our president,” Epstein said in a statement to The Detroit News. “I hope lessons can be learned from this, and we can work toward treating everyone fairly, regardless of political beliefs. I am determined to bring grace and dignity back to the political discourse in this country.”

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The cancellation comes on the heels of a now-deleted Facebook post last week from Michael Simon, the son of a former club president.

“Franklin Hills was founded in 1927 because Jews were not permitted to be members elsewhere,” Simon said in the deleted post, according to The Detroit News. “My deep connection to this place is why I’m so heartbroken to see FHCC’s leaders affiliate themselves with the racist campaign being run by Lena Epstein to tear children from the arms of their parents.”

According to The Detroit News, Simon posted an update on June 21 saying the board asked Epstein to voluntarily move her event, but she opted not to.

Juliana Kaplan is a news intern at The Forward. Email her at kaplan@forward.com or follow her on Twitter, @julianamkaplan

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount