WASHINGTON: A group of few dozen Indian-Americans has pledged to work for Donald Trump's re-election bid and mobilise the community for the November polls during an event organised by the US President's election campaign team to woo the Indian diaspora members.
At the event held on Sunday at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, President Trump surprised the several hundred participants by recognising the work of New York-based well-connected, but low profile, Indian-American Al Mason, who is an advisor to Global Real Estate Investments Educational Hospitals.
According to Trump's supporters present at the event, the President at the start of his speech went out of his way to give a robust shout out to Mason, asking him to stand and with great pride acknowledged him for his efforts in mobilising the Indian-American community for his re-election bid.
Indian-American Laxmi Nair, who was representing women doctors, said Mason as a co-chair of Trump Victory Indian American Finance Committee has been tirelessly reaching out to the vast Indian-American community nationwide in garnering support for the President's re-election bid.
"We are proud that the President before his speech asked him (Mason) to stand and acknowledged him in front of 700 other guests present there," Texas-based businessman Hari Namboodiri, who was one of the participants, told PTI.
"It was a well-deserved recognition. I am going to travel nationwide until the election day to mobilise every Indian-American to support President Trump," he added.
The event was attended by around 700 Trump supporters from across the country, of which around three dozens were Indian-Americans -- mostly doctors, businessmen and entrepreneurs. Former tennis superstar Vijay Amritraj was also seen at the fundraiser.
"The President calling Mason's name is a testimony to his dedication and commitment for the campaign," Indian-American businessman Madahavn Padmakumar told PTI after the event, which was also attended by Kimberly Guilfoyle, the national chairwoman of the Trump Victory Finance Committee, Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump.
Boston-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) expert Anthony Satyadas asserted that the Indian-American community will mobilise campaign contributions and voter support for Trump "like never seen before for any other President".
Claiming that "a billion people in India love President Trump", tech entrepreneur Umesh Hari Gopal said, "We will mobilise two million Indian-Americans to support President Trump's re-election campaign. We are going to convert every Indian-American supporting Democrats into Trump supporter."
Sampat Shivangi, member National Advisory Council of SAMHSA, Centre for National Mental Health Services, said, "President Trump is the best friend of India and Indian-Americans in the White House."
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is a branch of the US Department of Health and Human Services.