Koch Brothers Group Leadership Calls Out Trump For ‘Lack Of Leadership’

In this February 26, 2007 file photograph, Charles Koch, head of Koch Industries, talks passionately about his new book on Market Based Management. (Bo Rader/Wichita Eagle/MCT)
In this February 26, 2007 file photograph, Charles Koch, head of Koch Industries, talks passionately about his new book on Market Based Management. (Bo Rader/Wichita Eagle/MCT via Getty Images)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Officials with the Libertarian-leaning network of donors tied to billionaire Charles Koch decried President Donald Trump for his “divisive” rhetoric at a gathering over the weekend, The Washington Post reported. 

Koch network co-chair Brian Hooks cited Trump’s “tremendous lack of leadership” as contributing to the “deterioration of the core institutions of society” and said the “divisiveness of this White House is causing long-term damage.”

Hooks specifically called out Trump and his allies in Congress who have been supportive of Trump’s trade policy and uptick in federal spending. Charles Koch himself was careful to not call out the President personally, but rather suggested that partisan politics has caused a divide in the U.S. “long before Trump.”

“We’ve had divisiveness long before Trump became president and we’ll have it long after he’s no longer president,” he said. “I’m into hating the sin, not the sinner. … I don’t care what initials are in front, or after, somebody’s name. . . . I’d like there to be many more politicians who would embrace and have the courage to run on a platform like this.”

Known for its support of Republicans, the group announced it would spend as much as $400 million this year on policy and the political campaigns of Republicans running to hold the Senate.

Latest Livewire
40
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. When Koch spends all his money to promote Democratic control of the government, then and ONLY then will I believe his words!

  2. Next on Spankee’s insult list: Koch Brothers. Tweet storm incoming…

    AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

    If Goopers needed any more proof that Spankee is sabotaging them, this is it. But they’ll still not do anything.

  3. Well, the Kochs had their huge tax cut, the SC packed with pro-business ideologues, the EPA neutered, and Obamacare undermined and set to fail.

    After they got all they wanted and more, now they start clutching their pearls about deficits and divisiveness…

  4. Obama reached out a hand to you bastards, in a sincere effort to end the divisiveness. He really tried. So maybe you should burst into flames about now, you lying sons of bitches.

  5. Fox 'N Friends or it never happened, Kochsuckers.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

34 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for dr_coyote Avatar for mondfledermaus Avatar for mattinpa Avatar for bikerdad Avatar for radicalcentrist Avatar for theod Avatar for hychka Avatar for lastroth Avatar for alyoshakaramazov1 Avatar for ottnott Avatar for tao Avatar for dickweed Avatar for demyankee Avatar for lizzymom Avatar for machoneman Avatar for tompaine73 Avatar for clare Avatar for aiddon Avatar for banjopappy Avatar for eisenst Avatar for counterlife Avatar for atldrew Avatar for rascal_crone

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: