The Koch Brothers still aren't interested in supporting Donald Trump

Representatives of billionaire industrialist brothers Charles and David Koch continue to turn down meeting requests from major fundraisers of the Donald Trump campaign, even after Trump formally claimed the Republican nomination for president.

A pro-Trump cadre reportedly lobbied for a conversation between the brothers and their candidate on Friday, when all three happened to be in Colorado Springs at once, but the Kochs firmly declined. Their disinterest is not surprising, as an unnamed senior Koch official predicted in February that should the election come down to Trump vs. Hillary Clinton, the Kochs might well sit this one out.

Indeed, the brothers have been consistently critical of Trump's candidacy, with Charles in April calling Trump's Muslim registry proposal "reminiscent of Nazi Germany," "monstrous," and "frightening." He has also described choosing between Trump and Clinton as picking "cancer or a heart attack" and labeled Trump's principles "antithetical" to his own.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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.

Sign up