A newly released email shows a top Republican donor criticizes former President Donald Trump for adding Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard to his presidential transition team, referring to Kennedy as “an anti-vax kook”.
The email appeared on Wednesday and was sent from Eric Levine, a New York native and prominent board member of the Republican Jewish Coalitionaccording to Jewish Insider.
Levine’s subject line provocatively asked, “Is Trump trying to lose?” and took aim at Gabbard and Kennedy as “fringe candidates with fringe policy positions” that he believes will alienate conservative voters.
In a new email, Eric Levine, a top GOP donor who said last March he would vote for Trump “reluctantly and with reservations,” attacks the former president for adding RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard to his transition team:
“It’s hard to imagine a more self-defeating announcement.” pic.twitter.com/am31Fxxq7h
— Matthew Kassel (@matthewkassel) August 28, 2024
Criticizing Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, for her previous endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders in the 2016 presidential race, Levine said “there is something terribly wrong with this picture.”
The well-known GOP fundraiser warned that Trump’s move could benefit Vice President Kamala Harris as she aims to appeal to moderate Republicans.
“These should be solid Trump voters,” Levine said, suggesting Trump should bring in “someone like Nikki Haley” and stay focused on policy to maintain his strong base.
Levine previously supported Sen. Tim Scott and Haley for president, and once vowed never to vote for Trump again after the 2020 election. He reversed his position in March, citing concerns about President Biden’s handling of Israel and rising anti-Semitism, among other issues .