Billionaire conservative Charles Koch isn’t exactly a “kingmaker” – as it typically takes more than just money in American politics – but his fundraising efforts have often aided the Republican Party’s causes. Koch supported the Tea Party movement that opposed the policies of the Obama administration, while the billionaire famously described politics “to be a nasty, corrupting business.”
It could be seen that his brand of anti-establishment politics would be well-suited to the MAGA cause, yet that is most certainly not the case.
Koch said in a 2020 interview with The Wall Street Journal that he regretted that he had contributed to the development of the hyper-partisanship that is so alive and well in the United States.
Koch Won’t Support Donald Trump
The 87-year-old Koch has said won’t support former President Donald Trump’s bid to return to the White House, and in fact, the billionaire is now raising money to aid any and all efforts to ensure it doesn’t happen.
As Bloomberg reported on Monday, a Koch-tied group that seeks to block Donald Trump from the GOP nomination has already raised $78 million. In an ad that is now running in key early primary states, Republican voters are being told that Trump would likely lose the general election to President Joe Biden.
“Instead of making (President Joe) Biden answer for his reckless progressive agenda, Trump makes the debate about indictments, personal grievances and the election he lost,” one 30-second spot, titled “The Choice” has been warning voters.
The second spot, titled “Unelectable,” even described Trump as a serial loser who caused Republicans to lose the House, Senate, and the White House. “If Donald Trump is the GOP nominee, we could lose everything,” the narrator warns.
A Single Challenger
For the first time in history, Koch’s Americans for Prosperity Action (AFP) has also pledged to back a single contender in the GOP presidential primary – instead of throwing support behind a number of candidates. As previously reported, AFP Action has yet to announce whom it will support next year, but it is believed that the group could dramatically reshape the Republican field by deploying its vast resources and standing army of conservative activists on behalf of a single candidate.
Yet, AFP Action has already announced its first U.S. House endorsements of the cycle, saying it will back Republican Reps. Juan Ciscomani of Arizona, Young Kim of California, Zach Nunn of Iowa, and John James of Michigan, along with former GOP Rep. Yvette Herrell of New Mexico.
Trump’s Response
The Donald Trump campaign hasn’t been all too pleased with the decision by Charles Koch to work so openly against the former president.
In February, Trump even took direct aim at Charles Koch following another report in The Wall Street Journal – which noted AFP’s efforts to urge Republicans to turn away from Trump and to “write a new chapter”.
“The Globalist Street Journal, in a recent article, said the Koch (missing!) ‘Network,’ which doesn’t understand that 2020 was Rigged, and that I was 233 Wins out of 253 races in the 2022 Midterms, won’t be supporting me this time around,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
He added, “THEY NEVER DID SUPPORT ME. And I don’t want their support, even though David Koch was, before his passing, a very happy member of my Clubs {as are other Koch family members}. They are Globalists who want cuts to Social Security, Medicare, & worse. No Thanks…..”
However, Koch is hardly the only big-dollar donor who has reportedly moved on from Trump. It was reported by Politico.com last month that a number of energy industry executives are not opting to support his primary challengers.
Without the big-ticket donors, Donald Trump could have an up hill battle going into the primaries and beyond.
Author Experience and Expertise
A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
From 19FortyFive
The Second American Civil War Has Begun
