Koch network plans to shift strategy in fight against Trump trade war: report

The Koch political network has reportedly decided to alter its plan of attack against President Trump’s tariffs after acknowledging its first strategy failed.

Launched in June 2018, the plan from the political network funded in part by billionaire Charles Koch had been to air digital and TV ads that said Trump’s tariffs would cause financial hardship for the average American. It didn’t work.

{mosads}“The argument that, you know, the tariffs are adding a couple thousand dollars to the pickup truck that you’re buying is not persuasive,” a Koch official told CNBC. “It doesn’t penetrate with the people that are willing to go along with the argument that you have to punish China.”

The Koch network, however, has yet to settle on a new strategy.

While 63 percent of registered voters in a recent Harvard CAPS/Harris poll think that tariffs will eventually hurt the U.S. more than China, 67 percent think it’s necessary to confront China over their trade practices.

The Koch network reportedly hopes to assemble a team of roughly 100 business leaders to meet with the Trump administration and lawmakers to end the ongoing trade war with China.

Moreover, the network wants to educate 100,000 activists across the US about the potential consequences of the trade war with the hope that these activists would pressure their congressional leaders to stop the tariffs.

Historically, Trump has paid no mind to anti-tariff sentiments, although last week he delayed a $250 billion increase of tariffs on Chinese goods, dubbing his actions a “gesture of good will.”