Donald Trump’s ‘Jewish Wingman’ Warns GOP on ‘Bad, Bad’ Attack Ads
Donald Trump’s presidential campaign warned the Republican Party on Tuesday about donors pooling funds for attack ads, saying Republicans must treat him fairly if they want to keep him from launching an independent bid.
Trump lawyer Michael Cohen told CNN that if Republican donors backing different presidential candidates come together for an anti-Trump advertising campaign, it would be a “bad, bad decision.”
The Super PAC planning the attack is New Day for America, which is supporting Ohio Governor John Kasich’s presidential bid. Its spokesman, Matt David, said on Sunday that 10 new donors had pledged money since Thursday when Politico reported the group’s plans to attack Trump in New Hampshire.
Trump signed a pledge to run as a Republican in the 2016 presidential election, but Cohen indicated the agreement would be invalid if Republicans target the billionaire real estate mogul.
“If they treat him fairly, he will honor the pledge because he’s an honorable guy. If they break that agreement with him, as they say ‘woe be on them,’” Cohen told CNN.
Cohen said the Republican Party may claim it has no control over Super PAC activities. But he insisted Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus has an obligation to treat Trump fairly.
“If they don’t, this will be a very, very bad thing for the Republican Party,” Cohen said.
RNC representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Trump is leading in polls of Republican primary voters both nationwide and in early voting states like Iowa and New Hampshire. His numbers have risen despite criticism about his business record and backlash from his contentious statements about immigrants and Muslims, among other things.
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.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.