When Charles Koch Took on President Trump — And Won

In the reality TV star’s Washington, the industrial titan’s pro-business, anti-tax agenda faced a threat greater than any Obama ever posed

Charles Koch stands for a portrait after an interview with the Washington Post. Photo: The Washington Post/Getty Images

By April 2015, Charles Koch had meticulously prepared for the approaching U.S. presidential election. In a rare public telegraphing of his intentions, the billionaire industrialist explained his strategy to USA Today. Koch would be more engaged than usual in politics, he said. His donor network would, for the first time, seek to influence the field of Republican primary candidates. The plan was to spend $900 million on activities including campaign contributions, think tanks, and educational initiatives during the election cycle, an amount rivaling the Republican National Committee’s war chest. Five contenders had been singled out as potential winners of the all-or-nothing money, including Wisconsin’s Gov. Scott Walker, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and three U.S. senators. The disclosure was a none-too-subtle signal. Republican politicians stood to win an enormous financial prize if they hewed closely to Koch’s policy views; they could feast at a carefully set table of campaign donations. It was for the candidates to decide whether they wanted to attend the banquet.