The billionaire industrialist Koch brothers, meanwhile, are being urged to reconsider their opposition to Trump by some of the donors in their network who are supporting the Manhattan tycoon, including Minnesota media mogul Stanley S. Hubbard and Dallas investor Ray Washburne, according to the two Republicans familiar with the outreach.
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With Election Day just three months away, Koch and his chief lieutenants openly refused to support the Republican presidential nominee, focusing their tremendous resources instead on helping the GOP win competitive Senate contests in states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Koch has been a staunch critic of both U.S. presidential candidates.
Hillary Clinton says controlling her emotions was her biggest concern walking on stage at the Democrat National Convention to become the first woman to lead a major party ticket.
None of the presidential candidates are aligned with the Koch network “from a values, and beliefs and policy perspective”, Holden said, citing other determining factors such as “running a good campaign” and talking about key issues “in a positive productive way”.
They have hosted donor gatherings for years, usually in private.
Its use has landed United States political figures in trouble before: in 2011, the former Alaska governor and vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin used it against critics of her rhetoric about Arizona representative Gabrielle Giffords, who was severely wounded in a mass shooting in which six people died.
The first priority of his donor network is “to preserve the country’s financial future and to eliminate corporate welfare. But since it appears that neither presidential candidate is likely to support us in these efforts, we are focused on maximizing the number of principled leaders in House and Senate who will, and giving grass-roots activists the tools to hold elected officials accountable”. They have contributed heavily to conservative campaigns and think tanks, are among the best known Republican donors.
“I turned down a meeting with Charles and David Koch”, the NY billionaire tweeted.
Holden also rejected Trump’s dire warnings about crime and the need for law and order.
Koch has put the network’s budget at roughly $750 million through the end of 2016.
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“At this point, I can’t support either candidate”, Koch said, drawing scattered applause throughout the ballroom of the Broadmoor hotel. Republican presidential candidates have been featured at past Koch gatherings – but not this one. But it’s what he said about Republican nominee Donald Trump that came as a shock.
