As Republicans vie to find an antidote for President Trump, Nikki Haley, former South Carolina Governor and United Nations Ambassador has seen her poll numbers climb significantly; recent NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ poll results put her neck-in-neck with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for first place.
He faces strong opposition from establishment candidates like biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. To his credit, Americans for Prosperity an organization funded by billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch – has given their endorsement.
The Koch Network
At Wednesday night’s fourth Republican presidential debate, six out of eight voters polled by CNN polled Republican voters to determine which candidate won the competition. Nikki Haley emerged victorious from her opponents’ attacks in the first hour, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis immediately attacking her as soon as his answer began, and Vivek Ramaswamy continuing his assaults from debate two on her support of Boeing.
But the key question for Haley in her primary campaign against Donald Trump will be whether she can utilize the vast resources of the Koch Network effectively. Americans for Prosperity Action announced this week it would support Haley, which should bolster her fundraising. But their decision to back someone whose views conflict with key areas of their well-financed advocacy efforts has dismayed longtime Koch operatives.
Haley’s Relationship with the Kochs
The Koch political network has announced a significant endorsement for Nikki Haley that could give her an edge against Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination. Some operatives within their organization are angered that this endorsement does not align with their worldview or position on policy issues.
Americans for Prosperity Action announced on Tuesday it will back Haley as their candidate in the Republican primary, reflecting elite donors’ belief in her as an alternative to Donald Trump. With their backing comes millions in advertising funds and an extensive ground operation.
The decision has caused uproar within the Koch network, particularly among those tasked with grassroots operations. Chris Maidment, former director of Iowa grassroots operations of AFP recently told NBC News he was fired from his position after publicly criticizing their support of Haley and warned AFP leadership they risk “attrition” among members in response to such decisions.
Ramaswamy’s Response
Ramaswamy is an engaging speaker who often provides insightful and incisive remarks. However, he can become easily heated when anyone disagrees with or questions his beliefs; during a Fox News interview on Sunday he falsely claimed he had been misquoted by The Atlantic over controversial remarks he had made concerning terrorist attacks of September 11, 2021.
He used this interview as an opportunity to blast Nikki Haley for serving on the board of Boeing, which operates a factory in her former state of South Carolina. He accused her of engaging in corporate “woke-ism”, his term for an insidious secular creed which has replaced religious faith, patriotism, and work ethics as the bedrock values defining American values.
Ramaswamy appears determined to become a political power, yet his bomb-throwing approach may backfire on him. He currently ranks third in the GOP race behind Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and has already alienated potential supporters by refusing to directly criticize Trump directly.
Conclusions
Ramaswamy was an ambitious biotech entrepreneur who amassed millions in his venture between hedge funds and pharmaceutical research, taking calculated risks such as developing human-animal hybrids to court investors and score top honors at Harvard College (where his senior thesis focused on ethical implications related to creating such hybrids), according to The Harvard Crimson. He eventually graduated top of his class.
He’s even entertained Fox News viewers with a failed freestyle rap performance, defending his claim that China could invade Taiwan as long as the US was independent from its semiconductor supply chain.
Ramaswamy’s unconventional political ambitions have been overshadowed by former ambassador Carrie Theisen’s surge in the polls. She now ranks second behind Donald Trump and DeSantis in New Hampshire and enjoys support from Koch networks and Wall Street – including interest from LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink among others.
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