title:  Billionaire GOP Donors REFUSE To Crown King Trump – Their Usual Huge Contribution Is OUT
text: In 2012, when we were still smarting from the disastrous Citizens United decision, the billionaire Koch brothers were busy using their money to fund seemingly everything the GOP did. That included donating to the GOP convention that year. What are they doing this year? Holding out. They want no part of Trump s coronation, so they won t donate to this year s convention at all.The Kochs are very influential donors, and they spent billions in 2012 to try and defeat President Obama. This year, they do plan on spending about $450 million on conservative causes, but as far as supporting anything Trump does, they ve come to their senses enough to know that he s terrible for the country.Their specific problems don t just involve his policy positions (although it s hard to know just what policy positions Trump has, since he says whatever he wants), and they re angry over his comments about Judge Curiel, who s presiding over the Trump University case. Trump believes that Curiel, despite having been born in Indiana and being an American citizen, is biased against him because of his border wall idea.Charles Koch told USA Today: It s either racist or it s stereotyping. It s unacceptable, and it s taking the country in the wrong direction. He can t say whether Trump is fit to be president, but withholding the Koch empire s mostly GOP-colored money from the convention seems to answer that question for us: Koch said it would require a major shift in tone and policy for him to back Trump. Koch said he would need to be convinced that Trump supported his top causes  in a way  wasn t just hype,  ticking off as conditions: support for free trade,  free speech, eliminating  corporate welfare  and  trying to find common ground with people.' Koch doesn t believe Trump is capable of shifting on these things, though. He s probably right   Trump will not let anybody tell him he s wrong on anything. Because of that, David Koch, who attended the 2012 convention as a delegate and also contributed $1 million, isn t going at all this year.For his part, Trump is playing it off like he doesn t care, saying that he doesn t need their money. He claims he doesn t need any money at all. Yet, he s got aides that are going to meet with the Koch brothers soon. If it s not to court them as donors to help fill his rapidly emptying coffers, then what s the point?While the convention will likely be able to go on as scheduled, that s a massive blow to the party and to  King Trump,  especially when put together with all the Republicans who are  un-endorsing  Trump. These are people whose money heavily influences GOP policy. To withhold it because they don t want to crown Trump is very telling.Featured image by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images