Between titillating news stories like an apparent misuse of campaign funds and possible “softening” on immigration policy, Donald Trump announced Wednesday he would be attending an event held by the Republican Hindu Coalition. Aside from the event’s title, “Humanity United Against Terror,” Trump’s plans offered the press no other details about the engagement. Hence why NBA Asian America producer Traci Lee did a little digging into the organization and discovered a rather interesting bit of trivia about it.
Namely, that Trump surrogate and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich serves as the group’s honorary chairman. Yes, that’s right. Gingrich, a practicing Roman Catholic who previously identified as a Baptist and a Lutheran, and has stumped for his presidential nominee’s repeated calls for a Muslim ban, helps run an organization called the Republican Hindu Coalition.
Gingrich helped found the RHC in 2015 with Shalabh Kumar, an Indian-American businessman and conservative political philanthropist who also happens to be the chairman of AVG Advanced Technologies, the anti-virus software company. When Kumar launched the group, he told the conservative press he intended to donate $2 million to Republican candidates during current and future national elections. He also, unsurprisingly, frequently gives comment to Breitbart News.
(Via Traci Lee on Twitter and the Republican Hindu Coalition)