Charles Koch isn't planning on supporting any Republican candidate in the primary

Charles Koch.
(Image credit: Twitter.com/Forbes)

He has a lot of people to choose from, but Koch Industries CEO Charles Koch says he has "no plans" to support any of the Republican presidential candidates in the primary.

Koch and his brother, David Koch, are known for making significant donations to conservative campaigns and organizations, but Koch said he's not one for politics. "[David] is more interested in the political side," he said. What Koch does take an interest in is free speech on college campuses. "Universities are supposed to be a marketplace of ideas and encourage different thinking, not, 'Oh, we don't want any student to be uncomfortable,'" he said. "Well, you want all the students to be uncomfortable because they are exposed to new and different ideas that challenge the way they are thinking to help them develop thinking skills."

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IRS filings show that two charitable foundations bankrolled by Koch have given $19.3 million to 210 college campuses and organizations to fund economic research, offer scholarships, and underwrite courses that support libertarian economic policies, USA Today reports. "If we support three or four professors out of hundreds who have an alternate point of view, they are trying to get that kicked off the campus," he said. "You want no debate on ideas? We're not saying, 'Oh, you need to get rid of everybody.' Bring 'em on. Let's have a free and open debate. That's what a free society is all about."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.