If Sen. Elizabeth Warren or another populist from either the Left or Right runs for president in 2016, it could force the Chamber of Commerce into the race, the business lobby’s president said.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Donohue told the Wall Street Journal that his organization might have no choice but to oppose a populist, even though it traditionally does not endorse a presidential candidate.
He is worried about candidates who want to “do away with the system of open and free capital,” he said in the interview published Wednesday.
“I’m not talking about liberal Democrats; I’m talking about the progressives that really think they should destroy the system,” as well as right-wing populists, he told the Journal.
The Chamber of Commerce is generally viewed as allied with Republican candidates, who receive the bulk of the chamber’s support in congressional elections.
Nevertheless, the century-plus-old organization has run into opposition from GOP lawmakers in recent years, as Tea Party-influenced politicians have become increasingly opposed to some business priorities. Those include comprehensive immigration reform and some government programs that benefit businesses.
The Chamber was active in Republican primaries to oppose Tea Party candidates during the 2014 midterm cycle.
Meanwhile, Democratic populism has become louder in recent months, led by Warren, the Massachusetts senator and prominent critic of Wall Street. In December, Warren spearheaded opposition to a spending bill favored by President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid over the inclusion of a measure stripping a financial regulatory provision.
Warren has said that she is not a candidate for the presidency.
Nevertheless, she is favored by many liberals and was cited by Donohue as a populist who would cause the Chamber concern.
