Charles Koch might be with her.
Koch, a famed financier for conservative causes, told ABC News that “it’s possible” former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would make a better president than any Republican in the race.
In an interview airing Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” Koch did not endorse Clinton, but suggested he might prefer her to Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump or Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
“It’s possible,” Koch said when asked if Clinton might make a better president than any Republican running. “It’s possible.”
Koch’s comment, while restrained, highlights the horror with which the GOP establishment, including major donors like Koch and his brother David, view the GOP field. Koch’s comments also suggest the growing sentiment among elite Republicans that Clinton might be the safest available bet for the White House, despite her 20 plus years of portrayal among conservatives as a liberal bogeyman, as the Kochs are often depicted among liberals.
Asked if he could support Clinton, Koch responded, “We would have to believe her actions would be quite different than her rhetoric. Let me put it that way.”
Koch said that Hillary Clinton’s husband, Bill Clinton, was in some ways a better president than George W. Bush. Clinton oversaw sustained economic growth while Bush’s presidency ended with a financial collapse and severe recession. While Bush’s popularity was hurt most by war in Iraq, Koch noted Bush increased government spending at a faster clip than Clinton.
Clinton “wasn’t an exemplar,” Koch said. “But as far as the growth of government, the increase in spending,” Koch said. “It was 2.5 times [more] under Bush than it was under Clinton.”
