Charles and David Koch had originally intended to raise almost $880 million in support of candidates for the 2016 presidential election – but have so far refused to endorse anyone. This week, they confirmed that they would not be supporting GOP nominee Donald Trump.
The Koch brothers are among many influential Republicans who refuse to align themselves with Trump. Speaking at a tech conference this week in Colorado, Charles Koch slammed Trump’s policies as “antithetical” to his. “I’m sure he is a fine fellow underneath, but when you look at our guiding principles, his guiding principles are in many ways antithetical to ours.”
The media went wild a few months ago after an enigmatic interview in which Charles admitted that Hillary Clinton could possibly make a better candidate than a Republican. “What I said was it was possible [to back Clinton] if she totally changed everything she stood for,” said Charles after the rumors started. “I have got to be more careful about what I say.”
When asked about the general election, Charles stated, “I see two people that as of this point we’re not supporting…If I had to vote for cancer or a heart attack why would I vote for either?”
With fortunes estimated at over $40 billion each, Charles and David Koch are a force to be reckoned with. They have proved influential in conservative politics for many years, fueling Tea Party initiatives that aim to limit the size of government.
The only real way the Koch brothers wield power over a political candidate is to donate or withhold money – but they can’t to that with Donald Trump. The real estate mogul would certainly benefit from a Koch endorsement, but he can also tell them to f*** off.
When you take politics out of the equation, it makes sense that the Koch brothers would not want to support a man who is, in effect, a billionaire rival. On top of that, the brothers know they won’t gain any power or influence from supporting Trump. Perhaps Trump is better off without them.
Editor’s note: If you read up on the Koch’s you may find, as I did, their political philosophies are a little off. Despite their support of conservative causes, I’m a bit relieved their influence will be limited.