title:  Donald Trump Is Even Making Enemies Of The Koch Brothers; Here’s Why
text: Since Citizens United, and even before, two names have been consistent Republican stalwarts and Republican donors. Before Donald Trump, it was apparent that the Republican party was owned by the Koch brothers and Walmart, both of whom are ardent supporters of free trade and cheap labor. Now, Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan are making enemies of both, and the Republican party is in turmoil.In June, before Trump was even elected, Republicans began their war on imports by sketching a  blueprint  for tax reform that would make imports a lot more expensive, and these days, pretty much everything you and I buy is an import.Trump didn t love Congress  original plan, but his plan would add a 20 percent import tax to imports from Mexico. The Kochs and Walmart aren t happy about that.The GOP confusion is mirrored by a scrambling of alliances on K Streets that hasn t been seen in living memory.  Trump more than any president I ve seen has created a little bit of chaos within some client rosters. He s not afraid to pit people against each other,  said one lobbyist who has clients that may wind up on both sides of the issue. When that happens, lobby shops will have to pick which side they re on. But as long as it s just a vague concept, that reckoning can wait.  Theres no legislative text. We don t have a conflict until we have a bill,  he said.Corporate America has had plenty of intramural matches over the years. But rewriting the tax code is a dozen Super Bowls played all on the same day. Manufacturers, including Boeing, Caterpillar, Honeywell and pharmaceutical companies, have quickly organized to praise the border tax. Retailers, including Walmart, Target and Kohl s, are trying to kill it. They re joined by right-wing megadonors Charles and David Koch. In December, Koch Industries   which imports crude and tar sands oil to be refined in the United States   said the House GOP plan would  adversely impact American consumers by forcing them to pay higher prices on products   they use every single day.  Prices at the pump, they have warned, would skyrocket, and nothing gets a member of Congress  attention faster than the flipping numbers at an Exxon station.Source: Huffington PostThis puts Congress in a tough spot, and as liberals, we should be grabbing the popcorn. The Kochs and the Waltons (Walmart heirs) are huge GOP donors and in return, they expect that wages will be kept low (Republicans are still happy to accommodate), regulations will be kept to a minimum (again, Republicans are on board) and imports will be kept cheap.While this infighting is great for us and ultimately, for the country (the Republican party will be hurting without their cash, which will increase our chances of regaining Congress and state houses in 2018), it does put us in a weird position. Defending the Kochs and Walmart is pretty much against everything we stand for, but they also have their fingers on the pulse of red state America. As Americans start paying a premium for their Bounty paper towels and Walmart crap, people will start to revolt, and thanks to the Kochs and the Waltons, they ll know who to revolt against.Featured image by Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images