Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 1 august 2018
Clash of GOP titans as Trump v Kochs feud escalates

By STEVE PEOPLES and JON- country. We are raising the
ATHAN LEMIRE bar, raising expectations,"
NEW YORK (AP) — The war Koch lieutenant Emily Se-
of words intensified be- idel told donors Monday.
tween two titans in Repub- While the move echoed
lican politics on Tuesday across the political world,
as President Donald Trump Republican operatives qui-
trashed the conservative etly dismissed the practical
billionaire Koch brothers as impact of the Koch's deci-
a "total joke in real Republi- sion on the North Dakota
can circles." Senate race, where Cram-
The presidential insult fol- er's campaign believes he
lowed a weekend gather- has a double-digit lead in
ing of Koch officials who the deep-red state against
repeatedly condemned the Democratic incum-
Trump's trade policies, the bent. Yet there is a desire
explosion of government for the Kochs to cooperate
spending under his watch with Trump allies in other
and his divisive tone. states, such as Nevada and
The intra-party feud could Montana, where Republi-
hurt the GOP in this fall's can candidates are con-
midterm elections and be- sidered more vulnerable.
yond. While the Kochs re- Some Trump loyalists were
fused to endorse Trump's This combination of 2013 and 2012 file photos shows brothers David, left, and Charles Koch. Clash furious at perceived con-
first presidential run, the of tradictions in the Koch
president's loyalists don't Associated Press network's behavior and
want his 2020 re-election worried that it could com-
campaign bogged down "The globalist Koch Broth- "I'm for America First & the dent should bear any re- plicate the president's 2020
by lingering bad blood. ers, who have become a American Worker — a pup- sponsibility for the divisive re-election.
The Koch network boasts total joke in real Repub- pet for no one. Two nice tone in Washington. "The Kochs had zero to do
an army of grassroots ac- lican circles, are against guys with bad ideas." "We've had divisiveness with Trump's win in 2016,"
tivists across 36 states and Strong Borders and Power- Over the weekend, net- long before Trump became former White House coun-
has promised to spend ful Trade," Trump tweeted. work patriarch, 82-year-old president and we'll have selor Steve Bannon told the
between $300 million and "I never sought their support Charles Koch, refused to it long after he's no longer AP. "But they were willing to
$400 million on politics and because I don't need their criticize Trump personally president," Koch said dur- support the tax cut and the
policy this election cycle money or bad ideas." when The Associated Press ing a rare question-and-an- deregulation, while oppos-
alone. The president later added: asked whether the presi- swer session with reporters. ing the heart of Trumpism
"I'm into hating the sin and — trade and immigration."
not the sinner." Trump's animosity toward
Responding to Trump's so- the Koch brothers, like
cial media attack, Koch so much of his anger to-
spokesman James Davis ward conservative heavy-
was measured. "We sup- weights, stems from the
port policies that help all influential donors' pointed
people improve their lives. refusal to support him in the
We look forward to work- run-up to the 2016 presiden-
ing with anyone to do so," tial campaign. Back then,
he said. he criticized Koch-backed
The day before, the Kochs' politicians as "puppets."
political advocacy network Tensions remained be-
announced it would not tween the two camps — in
back the GOP candidate part fueled by the Kochs'
in the North Dakota Senate status as key members of
race, determining that Re- the Manhattan donor net-
publican challenger Kevin work, a group that has long
Cramer's record on govern- rejected Trump, even as
ment spending made him the president staffed his
no better than Democratic administration with a num-
incumbent Sen. Heidi Heit- ber of Koch alumni.
kamp in the marquee Sen- Trump has complained to
ate contest. confidants that the Kochs
The Kochs have not ruled "never respected" him and
out similar moves in top-tier "refused to get on board"
Senate races in Indiana, his electoral movement,
Missouri, Montana, and according to a person fa-
West Virginia, although miliar with his views but not
they are actively working to authorized to discuss pri-
help elect Republican Sen- vate conversations. He has
ate candidates in Florida, expressed worry that they
Tennessee and Wisconsin. may try to undermine his
"We've got a message administration, the person
for lawmakers across the said.q