The cataclysmic rift between the powerful Koch political network and President Donald Trump stems from the conservative billionaires developing a case of "Trump Derangement Syndrome," Jeffrey Lord, a former associate political director under Ronald Reagan, told Newsmax TV on Friday.
"The Koch brothers are suffering a few symptoms of TDS – Trump Derangement Syndrome – and you know that that's never good for whoever has it," Lord, a columnist for The American Spectator, said to John Cardillo and Gina Loudon on Newsmax's "America Talks Live."
"That's not helpful to Democrats, it's not going to be helpful to the Koch brothers, either. And I hope they recover."
Charles and David Koch, who spend about $400 million on politics and policy each election cycle – did not support Trump's presidential bid in 2016 – and last week Charles Koch and network officials criticized the president at their donor summit and refused to back North Dakota GOP Senate hopeful, Rep. Kevin Cramer.
Then on Thursday, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel posted a message to Republicans criticizing the Kochs' announcement they won't support all Republicans seeking office and warned party contributors to stay away from their network.
Lord believes the fracture is part of the ongoing war between the Trump's "America First" faction and establishment Republicans.
"That's been going on since June of 2015 when Trump announced his candidacy. It's been going on ever since. And, basically what you have are the Trump folks versus the Never-Trumpers."
For now, Lord said he believes, the Trump candidacy for 2020 "is very much alive and well here and I would expect that to continue for some time."
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