CNN
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The influential network associated with conservative billionaire Charles Koch has raised more than $70 million for political races, the group announced Thursday, as it prepares to help shape the outcome of next year’s contests and encourage Republican voters to avoid the former president. Donald Trump in the fight for the White House nomination.
Americans for Prosperity Action has pledged to support a single candidate in the GOP presidential primary for the first time in its history. He has yet to announce who he will endorse, but the group could dramatically reshape the Republican field by deploying its vast resources and a standing army of conservative activists on behalf of a single candidate.
The sums raised by the group will help advance these efforts. The lion’s share of the total announced Thursday came from two organizations affiliated with Koch: $25 million from his Kansas-based industrial conglomerate Koch Industries and another $25 million from Stand Together, a nonprofit he founded, AFP spokesman Bill Riggs confirmed.
The New York Times reported for the first time the fundraising total.
The group is also releasing new digital spots, first shared with CNN, that cast Trump as a candidate Republicans can’t risk supporting in 2024.
“Instead of holding (President Joe) Biden accountable for his reckless progressive agenda, Trump is making the debate about accusations, personal grievances and the election he lost.” a 30 second spottitled “The Choice,” he says.
the second, called “Unelectable,” describes Trump as a serial loser who caused Republicans to lose the House, Senate and White House. “If Donald Trump is the GOP nominee, we could lose everything,” the narrator says.
The ads will run in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, officials said.
Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said in an email: “President Trump continues to fight swamp DC insiders who would love nothing more than to have an establishment puppet they can control in the White House. “None amount of dirty money from shady lobbyists and mystery donors will ever stop the America First movement, which is why President Trump continues to dominate poll after poll, both nationally and statewide. We welcome this fight.”
AFP Action also announced Thursday its first U.S. House endorsement of the cycle, saying it will back Republican Reps. Juan Ciscomani of Arizona, Young Kim of California, Zach Nunn of Iowa and John James of Michigan, along with with former Republican Yvette Herrell. from New Mexico.
In addition to trying to stir doubts about Trump among the GOP faithful, network officials have said part of their 2024 strategy is to bring more general election voters into the GOP primary process to sway the outcome of the elections. first competitions
Americans for Prosperity has already reached out to 1.4 million potential new Republican and swing voters in nearly a dozen states, officials said.
In a statement to CNN earlier this month, Americans for Prosperity CEO Emily Seidel said the group’s voter interactions have shown her that many Trump supporters are “receptive to arguments that he is a weak candidate, his focus on 2020 is a liability and his lack of appeal with independent voters is a problem.”
“This tells us that many Republicans are ready to move on, they just need to see another candidate stand up and show that they can lead and win,” he added.
