Memo to Republicans angling for some of the Koch brothers' titanic political cash pile: Stop hating on each other and start preaching policy.
In an interview with USA Today, Charles Koch clarified that contrary to recent reporting suggesting he and his brother were aligning behind Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), the two remained undecided in the GOP primary. But when the billionaire brothers — whose political network aims to spend nearly $900 million in the 2016 election cycle — do opt for a specific candidate, they'll tab someone who actually stands "a decent chance of being elected." (Sorry, Donald Trump.) More specifically, they'll seek someone who "is articulating a good message to help Americans get a better understanding and a better appreciation of how certain policies" will "benefit them and will benefit all America," Koch said.
"What we expect them to do is to compete on who has a more positive message for America," he said, "rather than what's wrong with some other candidate and did he smoke pot when he was 15 or whatever."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Trump DOJ sues to block California redistrictingSpeed Read California’s new congressional map was drawn by Democrats to flip Republican-held House seats
-
GOP retreats from shutdown deal payout provisionSpeed Read Senators are distancing themselves from a controversial provision in the new government funding package
-
Catholic bishops rebuke Trump on immigrationSpeed Read ‘We feel compelled’ to ‘raise our voices in defense of God-given human dignity,’ the bishops said
-
House releases Epstein emails referencing TrumpSpeed Read The emails suggest Trump knew more about Epstein’s sex trafficking of underage women than he has claimed
-
Newsom slams Trump’s climate denial at COP30speed read Trump, who has called climate change a ‘hoax,’ declined to send any officials to this week’s summit
-
UK, Colombia halt intel to US over boat attacksSpeed Read Both countries have suspended intelligence sharing with the US over the bombing of civilian boats suspected of drug smuggling
-
Trump pardons 2020 fake electors, other GOP alliesSpeed Read The president pardoned Rudy Giuliani and more who tried to overturn his 2020 election loss
-
Supreme Court to decide on mail-in ballot limitsSpeed Read The court will determine whether states can count mail-in ballots received after Election Day
