“The globalist Koch Brothers, who have become a total joke in real Republican circles, are against Strong Borders and Powerful Trade. I never sought their support because I don’t need their money or bad ideas,” the president wrote on Twitter. “They love my Tax & Regulation Cuts, Judicial picks & more. I made them richer.”
Although the Kochs have long been among the most influential conservative donors in the country, they have largely withheld support from Trump, mostly sitting out the 2016 election cycle during which he was elected. The relationship between the president and the Kochs had seemed to warm somewhat with the passage of Trump’s package of tax cuts and reforms, which the donor network supported.
But over the weekend, Charles Koch expressed a
willingness to work with Democrats on issues he cares about, including criminal justice reform, should control of the House of Representatives flip after this November’s midterm elections. He said he sometimes regretted supporting GOP lawmakers and would be more careful about who his network supports in the future.
The criticism from the Koch network prompted former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon to
suggest that the billionaire donors “shut up and get with the program” of supporting the president and his agenda with less than 100 days to go until the midterms.
Trump, though, wrote on Twitter that he did not need the help of the Kochs.
“Their network is highly overrated, I have beaten them at every turn. They want to protect their companies outside the U.S. from being taxed, I’m for America First & the American Worker - a puppet for no one,” the president said online. “Two nice guys with bad ideas. Make America Great Again!”
