Trump coming to NJ again, this time for ‘incredible’ Hindu event

EDISON - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump will be in Edison on Saturday.

The Republican nominee is scheduled to appear during the Republican Hindu Coalition's Victims of Terror charity concert at the New Jersey Convention & Expo Center. The concert is described as a "Bollywood, Tollywood, Punjabi extravaganza" to benefit Kashmir and Hindu refugees.

Coalition founder Shalli Kumar said Tuesday that Gov. Chris Christie would briefly address the crowd, but a spokesman for Christie later said that the event was not on the governor's calendar.

Kumar is a strong Trump supporter whose opinion was not swayed by the release of vulgar comments Trump made in 2005. He told New Jersey 101.5 that most Americans are mature enough to know that Trump's comments were "locker room talk." and believes that "men and women, when they are private and talking among friends, they have a different language."

"This is not where our political dialogue should be. It should be what's all happening in the world. Yet we are concerned about someone a lot of years ago making remarks like this. To me that's silly."

Earlier this year, Trump headlined two fundraisers with Christie at the National Guard Armory in Lawrenceville that benefit New Jersey Republicans and also retired his campaign debt.

Christie on Tuesday said Trump's comments were "unacceptable” and “indefensible" but still supported Trump's run for the White House.

"I'm really upset by what I heard. But in the end, this election is about bigger issues than just that," Christie said, echoing Kumar's sentiment.

Kumar, who endorsed Trump in June, said one of the Coalition's largest principles is a firm policy and strong stand against what he called "Islamic extremist terrorism."

"We want to unite humanity against terror. Preach love, not hate," Kumar said. The concert will benefit victims of terror in India. Half will go towards people who have been "torn out of their homes at gunpoint," a phenomenon not known in the western world, said Kumar. The other half will benefit Bangladesh refugees who have been coming into India.

Prabhudeva, Malaika Arora and Sophie are among those performing at the concert.

Kumar said Trump got his endorsement because he is most aligned with what he calls the Coalition's "four Fs: a firm stand on foreign policy, a "true champion" of free enterprise, his desire to reduce the federal deficit and strong family values

"He is the only candidate who looks at the camel in the room and calls it out," Kumar said. "We need a non-politician to straighten this mess out."

Trump in a short video promises an "incredible evening" and said he is looking forward to speaking with "thousands of Indian Americans." The event was originally scheduled for the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel.

EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported that Christie would appear at the Edison event with Trump.