ELECTION/GOP/IMMIGRATION/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump has given Republicans good reason to tolerate his unruly leadership style. His tax cuts, deregulation push and nomination of conservative judges amount to the most orthodox Republican agenda any president has pursued since Ronald Reagan. Few had better reason to appreciate Mr. Trump’s results than Charles G. Koch, a billionaire industrialist who is one of the Republican Party’s biggest donors. Yet Mr. Koch’s simmering frustrations with the president over trade and immigration have now spilled over into an ugly public feud with Mr. Trump and candidates who side with him. By calling Mr. Trump’s trade policies ‘detrimental’ and denouncing divisive leadership, Mr. Koch is making a provocative political move that — be it hardball strategy or more of a ploy — threatens to complicate Republican efforts to hold on to their slim congressional majorities in the November midterm elections. Mr. Trump hit back on Tuesday [7-31-18] by attacking Mr. Koch; his ailing brother and business partner, David; and the powerful political network they founded as ‘totally overrated’ and ‘a total joke in real Republican circles.’”
–Jeremy W. Peters, “Charles Koch Takes On Trump. Trump Takes On Charles Koch.,” The New York Times online, July 31, 2018