{"id":2111620,"date":"2023-11-29T20:33:04","date_gmt":"2023-11-30T01:33:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/charles-koch-republican-megadonors-pick-their-choice-against-donald-trump-in-gop-primary\/"},"modified":"2023-11-29T20:36:51","modified_gmt":"2023-11-30T01:36:51","slug":"charles-koch-republican-megadonors-pick-their-choice-against-donald-trump-in-gop-primary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/charles-koch-republican-megadonors-pick-their-choice-against-donald-trump-in-gop-primary\/","title":{"rendered":"Charles Koch and other Republican megadonors choose their preferred candidate to challenge Donald Trump in the GOP primary"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">36<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcharles-koch-republican-megadonors-pick-their-choice-against-donald-trump-in-gop-primary%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2111620&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Charles Koch, Republican Megadonors Pick Their Choice Against Donald Trump in \u2064GOP Primary<\/h2>\n<p>Trump Derangement Syndrome may have Never-Trump megadonors throwing away good\u200b money.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>On Tuesday, Americans for Prosperity Action \u2014 \u2064a libertarian political\u200b advocacy\u200c group funded by billionaire Charles Koch and other industrial and corporate megadonors \u2014 endorsed former\u2063 South Carolina governor and GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2023\/11\/29\/politics\/haley-koch-trump-2024\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CNN<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>At this point, AFP Action\u2019s endorsement looks like a long-shot bet that\u2064 Haley can somehow beat Donald Trump in the GOP presidential\u200c primary. As of today, Haley is polling at a mere 9.9 percent nationally, while Trump is at 58.7 percent, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/projects.fivethirtyeight.com\/polls\/president-primary-r\/2024\/national\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Five Thirty-Eight<\/a>. That\u2019s an almost a 50-point\u2062 lead for Trump.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis is polling at 13 percent nationally. That\u2019s an almost 46-point lead for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/biden-doj-collects-list-every-person-followed-retweeted-mentioned-donald-trump-twitter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Trump<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Can the Koch network\u2019s megabucks\u2064 and its mega-political\u200d apparatus \u2063make \u200bup that kind of ground? \u200cIt could\u2063 be a game-changer, but \u200cit looks more like a Hail Mary.<\/p>\n<p>DeSantis leads Haley, though Haley has\u200b picked\u2062 up momentum as of late. Why would Koch and cohorts choose to back Haley? The short\u2064 answer could\u200b be that \u200dHaley is \u201cthoroughly an establishment neoconservative,\u201d according to\u2063 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/2023\/10\/nikki-haley-long-shot-bid-gop-dumping-trump#:~:text=While%20she%20served%20as%20the,is%20thoroughly%20an%20establishment%20neoconservative.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vanity Fair<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>DeSantis, on the other hand,\u200c is like \u201cTrump \u2064on steroids,\u201d \u2063according \u2062to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/desantis-like-trump-steroids-2024-election-andrew-warren-1802875\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Newsweek<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>AFP Action is betting \u200con the strength of Haley\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nikki-haley-posts-photo-of-birdcage-from-trump-campaign-after-birdbrain-attack\/\" title=\"Nikki Haley shares 'Trump Campaign' birdcage pic after 'birdbrain' insult.\">strong debate performances<\/a>, the desire for a generational change, and\u2063 a\u2064 \u201cshrewd campaign,\u201d according\u200c to\u200b CNN. This makes her the \u201cGOP establishment\u2019s favorite as the Trump alternative.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Will\u200c AFP Action money landing\u2064 in Haley\u2019s war chest this late in\u200d the \u200cgame allow her \u200cto seriously challenge Trump? Or will it make her a really well-financed runner-up \u2014\u200d <em>if<\/em> \u200d she can edge out\u2063 DeSantis?<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s anybody\u2019s bet, but the oddsmakers\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolitics.com\/elections\/betting-odds\/2024\/republican-nomination\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">average<\/a> suggests Trump has a 74.5 percent chance of\u2063 winning the primary, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/nikki-haley-claims-trump-followed-birdbrain-insult-brutal-delivery-hotel-room\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Haley<\/a>, 12.7 and DeSantis \u20636.7. The good\u2062 news for Haley is\u2062 that she is ahead of DeSantis, \u200baccording to oddsmakers.<\/p>\n<p>The bad news? She\u2019s almost\u2062 63 points behind Trump. Either AFP\u2062 Action\u2063 has inside information, \u200dor they\u2019re in the throes of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/robert-de-niro-rages-realizing-anti-trump-rant-taken-speech\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Trump Derangement Syndrome<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Charles Koch: The Rasputin of the American Right?<\/h3>\n<p>Charles Koch has been called the \u201cRasputin of the American Right,\u201d according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/magazine\/story\/2015\/03\/charles-koch-overcriminalization-115512\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Politico\u200b Magazine<\/a>. Like Rasputin \u2014\u200b an\u2062 influential \u200bRussian mystic \u2063from the last century\u2013 Koch is \u200da complicated guy. For example, why would someone \u2064on the right team up with the likes of radical leftists Goerge Soros and Democratic Senator Cory Booker?<\/p>\n<p>In\u200d 2015, Koch was overseeing the launch of programs and initiatives to fight what \u200che called the \u201covercriminalization of America.\u201d The Hillary Clinton-aligned \u200bCenter for American Progress was in on the\u2063 action as\u2063 well, according to Politico. Maybe Koch is a \u200dmystic like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Grigory-Yefimovich-Rasputin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rasputin<\/a> \u2014 if the \u2062godless establishment can have mystics.<\/p>\n<p>Koch claims the machinations of his\u2064 political mind go back to his libertarian views, according to Politico.\u200b His <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/new-south-american-president-orders-end-drug-decriminalization-experiment-whole-generation-addicted-children\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">libertarian<\/a> views are connected\u2064 to his engineering studies at MIT decades ago. \u200bIt boils down to\u2063 Koch\u2019s belief that since \u201cthe physical world\u201d conforms to a set of\u200c rules, \u201cthe same thing\u200b has got to be true of the social world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And there you have it. Koch believes in social engineering, as do\u2063 neoconservatives\u200c who play puppet\u2064 master around the\u2064 world, globalists \u2064and the political establishment commonly referred to as the\u200c deep state. Social engineers\u2063 have \u200cno problem sacrificing the individual\u200b for\u200d the greater good.<\/p>\n<p>Trump and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/desantis-administration-sets-record-straight-pink-attacks-florida-banned-books-publicity-stunt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DeSantis<\/a> don\u2019t share \u200bthose beliefs. They \u2064believe in America First \u2063and individual freedoms. They \u2014 and others like them \u2014 believe\u2064 in the Constitution and God-given inalienable rights\u200c instead of \u2062human-engineered utopias.<\/p>\n<p>The point is that the political establishment is neither left nor right. It\u2019s \u200ca uniparty that houses radical progressives, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/70-republicans-reward-weaponized-fbi-300m-gift-names\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RINOs<\/a> and\u2062 billionaires\u2063 like Koch. If AFP\u200c Action is backing Haley, it\u2019s not a long shot to think she is one of them.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/charles-koch-republican-megadonors-pick-choice-donald-trump-gop-primary\/\">Charles Koch, Republican Megadonors Pick Their Choice Against Donald Trump in\u2062 GOP Primary<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\">The\u2064 Western \u2064Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What progressive and Democratic priorities align with \u2063the Koch network&#8217;s focus on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-dem-oregon-governor-freed-hundreds-of-inmates-early-now-one-is-reportedly-person-of-interest-in-deaths-of-four-young-women\/\" title=\"Ex-Dem Oregon Governor Released Inmates Early; One Now Suspected in Deaths of Four Women.\">criminal\u200b justice reform<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/majority-of-new-federal-climate-funds-in-pennsylvania-to-help-repave-parking-lots\/\" title=\"Majority of New Federal \"Climate Funds\" in Pennsylvania to Help Repave Parking Lots\">ending corporate welfare<\/a>?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Tical \u200cfigures too.<\/p>\n<p>Koch\u2019s alliance with Soros and Booker goes to show that he is willing to work across party lines and partner with unlikely allies in pursuit of his political goals. While the Koch network\u200c may\u200c be seen as having a conservative agenda, their focus \u2063on issues\u200c such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-releases-list-of-president-trumps-accomplishments-and-it-is-historic\/\" title=\"White House Releases List of President Trump\u2019s Accomplishments \u2013  And It Is Historic!\">criminal justice reform<\/a> and ending corporate\u2064 welfare aligns with some progressive and Democratic priorities.<\/p>\n<p>However, when \u2063it comes to the Republican primary and their\u2063 choice for a candidate against Trump, it seems that Koch \u200cand\u2064 his cohorts are sticking with a more establishment conservative candidate in Nikki \u200dHaley. While DeSantis may be seen as a Trump-like\u2062 figure and possibly more appealing to the GOP base, AFP\u2062 Action\u2019s endorsement shows a preference for a more mainstream,\u200d establishment candidate.<\/p>\n<p>But will their support be enough to propel Haley\u200c to victory? Trump\u2019s dominance in the\u200c polls and his popularity among Republican voters suggest a difficult battle for any challenger. While Haley may be gaining momentum and performing \u200bwell \u200bin debates, it remains to \u200cbe seen if\u200d she can overcome the significant lead that \u2064Trump has.<\/p>\n<p>Some may view the endorsement of \u2063Haley and the support from Koch\u2062 and other megadonors as a desperate move in \u2063the face of Trump\u2019s continued popularity. Are they \u200dsuffering \u2062from \u201cTrump Derangement\u200c Syndrome,\u201d as some critics suggest, or do they genuinely \u200bbelieve \u200cthat Haley has the potential to beat Trump and represent a more mainstream, establishment conservatism?<\/p>\n<p>Time will tell how \u200dthis endorsement and the support from megadonors impact the Republican primary. \u200bWill it be a game-changer, or a mere blip in Trump\u2019s dominance? One thing \u200bis for \u2063sure, Charles Koch and the\u200d megadonors aligned with him are not afraid to make bold moves and back their preferred candidates, even if they are seen as \u200blong-shots. \u200bOnly time will tell if their bet on\u2063 Nikki Haley pays off or\u2063 if Trump\u2062 continues his reign in the Republican party.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Of Haley seems futile, as she has repeatedly distanced herself from Trump. The syndrome of vehemently opposing Trump may lead these megadonors to waste their funds on a candidate who lacks a strong chance of success<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2131,"featured_media":2111621,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[548],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2111620","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2111620","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2131"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2111620"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2111620\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2111621"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2111620"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2111620"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2111620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}