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On Friday, it was reported that some of those top donors to Trump’s campaign tried to put Trump and Charles Koch, of Koch Brothers fame together at a meeting in Colorado Springs.
Koch was having no part of it.
Koch and his brother David Koch, who helm an influential network of advocacy groups and major conservative donors, have been sharply critical of Trump’s rhetoric and policy stances and have indicated they do not intend to support his campaign.
Trump in turn has blasted the Kochs and other major conservative donors as puppeteers to whom his GOP primary rivals were beholden, while he touted the independence from Big Money he said he achieved by largely self-financing his campaign.
But the billionaire first-time candidate has dialed back his anti-donor rhetoric since he clinched the GOP nomination and began active fundraising for a general election campaign in which his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, and her allies are expected to spend upward of $1.5 billion.
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Minnesota media boss, Stanley S. Hubbard and Dallas, Texas investor, Ray Washburne are two who support Trump and are attempting to use their clout to change the minds of the Kochs, in regards to throwing their support behind Trump.
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Trump and the Kochs were in Colorado Springs on Friday for different events. Attempts were made to encourage a meeting, but it wasn’t to be.
“It is not going to happen,” said one of the Republicans, adding that the Kochs appear unlikely to back away from their repeated declarations that they don’t plan to spend any money in the presidential race, and will instead refocus their spending down ballot.
This is important, considering that the GOP has received little help from Trump, in the way of fundraising, and most of their resources look to be tied up at the top of the ticket, leaving many of the down ballot races lacking.
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Some believed that the addition of Indiana Governor Mike Pence to the ticket as VP would hold some sway over the Kochs, as Pence has been a favorite through the years.
Pence has appeared at several Koch summits over the years. And, prior to joining Trump’s ticket, he had been scheduled to make an appearance in Colorado Springs this weekend. But he backed out of the appearance, citing campaign responsibilities.
Had Pence chose to keep his scheduled appearance, there’s no guarantee he could have talked the Kochs into loosening their purse strings. As it now stands, however, the influential Koch brothers appear to be firmly in Camp #NeverTrump.
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Influential Koch Brothers Remain Unmoved by Appeals to Support Trump https://t.co/U4w6JA3zLX
— RedState (@RedState) July 30, 2016
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