Rift Opens Between Trump and Top Donors Over Trade, Immigration

Some members of the Koch political network irked over tariffs
Charles Koch has expressed strong support for the dreamers

The MSC Gaia ship sits docked as cranes load and unload containers at the Port of Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California, U.S., on Thursday, June 11, 2015. President Barack Obama made a rare trip to Capitol Hill Friday to press fellow Democrats to back his trade agenda, a key second-term priority, in a sign that his own party may scuttle a vote on fast-track negotiating authority.Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/

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By John McCormick

January 26, 2018 at 9:00 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

President Donald Trump’s restrictive views on trade, which play to his political base and are likely to be debated in this year’s congressional elections, are creating a rift with some of the Republican Party’s biggest donors.

Those who help finance the Koch political network -- the most influential conservative organization outside the party -- are likely to discuss their discontent as they convene this weekend at a desert resort in California. Proposed tariffs on imported solar panels and washing machines Trump announced this week are fresh on their minds.