Jewish American billionaire Sheldon Adelson is asking Republican Jews to support Donald Trump for president, The Associated Press reported on Tuesday.
"I'm asking for your support" for Trump, Adelson wrote in an email Monday to more than 50 Republican Jewish leaders, according to the news agency.
Adelson told them he had met with Trump recently and is "specifically convinced he will be a tremendous president when it comes to the safety and security of Israel."
Last week, Adelson published an op-ed in The Washington Post in which he officially declared his support for Trump, and warned Americans that failure to elect Trump will result in a “third term” of President Barack Obama in the form of Hillary Clinton.
The op-ed came days 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.
Trump has work to do in winning over the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), which includes many top party fundraisers — and Adelson's note may help smooth the way, noted AP.
Most RJC members backed other Republican candidates over Trump in the primary contest, and some have been put off by Trump's divisive comments and ideas, such as temporarily banning all Muslims from entering the country.
"Like many of you, I do not agree with him on every issue," Adelson wrote in the email, obtained by The Associated Press. "However, I will not sit idly by and let Hillary Clinton become the next president. The consequences to our country, and Israel, are far too great to take that risk."
Adelson was the top donor of the 2012 presidential race, with his family putting almost $90 million into it, and he has signaled he is willing to be a financial driver again.
Earlier in the race, Trump dismissed former rival Marco Rubio as striving to be "a perfect little puppet" of Adelson, who in addition to supporting Israel wants to ban internet gambling.
Trump, at the time, brushed off Adelson and other donors, saying he doesn't need them because he is a billionaire himself.
But more recently, as Trump began to assemble a fundraising team and seek big donations, he has been more complimentary.
"An incredible honor to receive the endorsement of a person I have such tremendous respect for. Thank you, Sheldon!" Trump wrote on Twitter last week after Adelson’s endorsement editorial.
Adelson attached that editorial in his email to the RJC board of directors, noted AP.