Koch group to back GOP presidential candidate who will 'write new chapter for the country'

The blimpish donor network founded by billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch says it is wading into nan 2024 Republican statesmanlike primary successful an effort “to move nan page” and “write a caller section for our country.”

In a memo released Sunday, Americans for Prosperity said it will endorse much candidates successful ray of nan GOP’s disappointing capacity successful nan 2022 midterm elections.

“The Republican Party is nominating bad candidates who are advocating for things that spell against halfway American principles. And nan American group are rejecting them,” nan group's CEO, Emily Seidel, wrote.

Seidel said Americans for Prosperity looks to support a campaigner successful nan 2024 GOP statesmanlike superior “who tin lead our state forward, and who tin win.”

“So nan champion point for nan state would beryllium to person a president successful 2025 who represents a caller chapter,” Seidel wrote. “The American group person shown that they’re fresh to move on, and truthful AFP will thief them do that.” 

AFP’s memo does not straight mention erstwhile President Donald Trump, but comes months aft nan disappointing performances of Trump-endorsed candidates successful nan 2022 midterm elections costs nan GOP seats successful cardinal swing-state races. 

The AFP’s determination to get progressive successful nan GOP superior marks a important displacement successful strategy aft it sat retired nan 2 astir caller White House information battles.

Trump and nan AFP person butted heads successful caller years aft Charles Koch refused to walk nan network’s money to power nan 2016 statesmanlike predetermination successful favour of Trump.

After Trump entered office, apical leaders of AFP successful 2018 vented astir their frustrations pinch nan guidance of nan Republican Party during Trump’s presidency arsenic they attempted to rebrand nan statement by vowing to beryllium little partisan and activity pinch elected officials crossed nan governmental spectrum to beforehand their argumentation priorities.

In a bid of tweets successful 2018, Trump fired backmost at nan Koch-backed group for saying it would region itself from nan then-president and different apical Republicans who don’t support their agenda. “The globalist Koch Brothers, who person go a full joke successful existent Republican circles, are against Strong Borders and Powerful Trade. I ne'er sought their support because I don’t request their money aliases bad ideas,” Trump tweeted.

Tensions betwixt Trump and AFP were prevalent passim nan 2022 midterm predetermination rhythm arsenic well, pinch Trump and AFP's respective candidates duking it retired successful nan Nebraska governor’s title and Michigan and South Carolina legislature races.

The influential Club for Growth, which antecedently aligned itself pinch Trump, and different awesome donors besides person distanced themselves from nan erstwhile president. The group fought pinch Trump successful nan 2022 midterms by backing different candidates successful nan Ohio and Pennsylvania Senate primaries. In an question and reply pinch Axios last moth, Club for Growth president David McIntosh said that “it’s clip for a caller modular bearer that believes and will conflict for free-market principles” and that nan group is “just focused connected different things” compared to Trump.