Kochs won’t help top GOP Senate candidates in key state

The Koch Network did not endorse Trump’s 2016 run.

WASHINGTON -While the Koch brothers have always been closely aligned with the Republican Party’s far-right flank, they oppose the Trump administration’s policies on spending, trade and immigration.

The billionaire brothers have said they intend to spend $400 million dollars in the 2018 midterms.

The Koch brothers’ statements against Trump come less than 100 days before the midterm elections and could have a major impact.

On Monday, the political advocacy network created by the billionaire industrialists announced it would not back GOP candidate Kevin Cramer in November’s North Dakota Senate race.

The Kochs offered millions in campaign funding to Republicans who voted against “Trumpcare” past year, and spoke out against Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy at the border which saw young migrant children separated from their parents. But he embraced Trump’s moves during the first year of his presidency, including the $1.5 trillion tax package Trump signed into law late last year that instituted a 40% permanent tax cut for corporations.

“He’s inconsistent across the board on these issues”, Phillips said.

So why should they complain? He said his policies “made them richer”.

“Why would Cramer listen to this network if they knew we’d just support him anyway?” said Seidel.

In particular, the Koch brothers and their network expressed their opposition to Trump’s fair trade policies and tariffs, which are resulting in ongoing clashes with USA trading partners, and also the president’s strict immigration enforcement and border security agenda. “I don’t care what initials are in front or after somebody’s name”. The company and the Koch political operations have pushed relentlessly for lower taxes, less regulation and free trade.

Other Republicans said they were optimistic that the warring wings of the party could reconcile before the elections, in which the GOP is trying to stave off a possible Democratic wave.

I don’t think this changes much at all. But there may be something else going on as well. More than 500 of them are gathered for the three-day retreat here at the sprawling Broadmoor resort, which encircles a man-made lake and looks out to a breathtaking view of the Rocky Mountains.

“Their network is highly overrated, I have beaten them at every turn”, Trump added. Even though that kind of grass-roots work is labor-intensive and hard, they’ve been extremely successful at it.

“The Kuck Brothers (sic) better check themselves before they wreck themselves & get with the Donald Trump White House – punks”, Nunberg tweeted.

Vice President Pence has strong ties to the Kochs from his time in Congress and as in governor.