By Marcy Oster

(JTA) – Republicans are opening up their checkbooks to keep Jewish self-help author Marianne Williamson in the race for the Democratic nomination for president. It’s not they are falling in line with her idea to “harness love” to defeat President Donald Trump. It’s that they want to keep her in future Democratic debates. For her entertainment value.

Republican strategist Jeff Roe, who ran the 2016 presidential campaign for Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, posted a tweet at the end of the second debate on Thursday night, June 27, calling on Republicans to donate $1 to Williamson’s campaign “to keep this vibrant democrat on the debate stage. One debate performance is not enough. #DemDebate2020,” he tweeted.

Another two nights of debates are scheduled for next month. But in order to appear in future debates, beginning in September, candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination must garner two percent of support in the polls, and at least 130,000 unique donors, according to requirements set out by the Democratic National Committee. Republicans began responding to Roe’s call, according to USA Today, posting photos of the receipts of their campaign donations.

Williamson said during the June 27 debate of Trump: “This man has reached into the psyche of the American people and he has harnessed fear for political purposes. So, Mr. President, if you’re listening, I want you to hear me, please. You have harnessed fear for political purposes, and only love can cast that out. So I, sir, I have a feeling you know what you’re doing. I’m going to harness love for political purposes; I will meet you on that field and, sir, love will win.”