Over the weekend, top officials with the Koch network of donors criticized the Trump administration’s “protectionist” trade policies and President Donald Trump's “lack of leadership.” | Oliver Contreras/Getty Images Trump slams Koch brothers in 'America first' tweet

President Donald Trump ratcheted up his feud with the Koch brothers on Thursday, hammering the billionaire conservative donors’ trade policy rhetoric and questioning whether they are actually contributing to political campaigns.

“Charles Koch of Koch Brothers, who claims to be giving away millions of dollars to politicians even though I know very few who have seen this (?), now makes the ridiculous statement that what President Trump is doing is unfair to ‘foreign workers,’” the president tweeted. “He is correct, AMERICA FIRST!”


Over the weekend, top officials with the Koch network of donors criticized what it called the Trump administration’s “protectionist” trade policies and the president’s “lack of leadership” during a meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Kochs’ political network also announced that it would not support, for now, some Republican Senate candidates, including Trump ally Rep. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, who is running to unseat the Democratic incumbent Sen. Heidi Heitkamp.

Charles Koch also suggested he would be willing to work with Democrats on certain issues, including criminal justice reform, if they were to take control of the House of Representatives in the upcoming midterm elections.

James Davis, a Koch Network spokesman, said on Thursday in a response to Trump’s tweet that the organization “has a long-term commitment to unite around issues that will help people improve their lives.”

Davis added that the organization would continue to work with Trump and elected officials on where they agree.

“Where we disagree, we will do so in a civil way,” he said. “This is what it will take to make progress on the issues and ultimately create a society of mutual benefit — where people succeed by helping others.”

Koch on Sunday also sharply denounced the president’s trade policies.

“We should just get rid of all barriers except on things that will hurt people,” he said according to ABC News .

“Yeah, it’s unfair. It’s unfair to their people,” Koch said of countries negatively affected by the administration’s policies.

In another tweet earlier this week, Trump attacked the “globalist” Kochs as “a total joke in real Republican circles,” saying they are “against Strong Borders and Powerful Trade.”

“Their network is highly overrated, I have beaten them at every turn,” he wrote on Tuesday. “They want to protect their companies outside the U.S. from being taxed, I’m for America First & the American Worker — a puppet for no one. Two nice guys with bad ideas. Make America Great Again!”

