Americans for Prosperity Action is the political advocacy committee wing of Americans for Prosperity, a Republican donor network originally funded by the Koch brothers and their associated donor networks. Though the Koch brothers faded from the political scene somewhat and David Koch died in 2019, AFP and its associated organizations are still associated with the Koch network.
And now AFP has, through AFP Action, thrown its weight behind former South Carolina Governor and American UN Ambassador Nikki Haley. It did so in a press release about American politics in which it claimed that Haley, regarded as a neocon by many on the right, would be the better choice for America.
The press release in which AFP Action announced its support for Haley claimed, “At a time in our country when millions of Americans are struggling, broken politics have made it nearly impossible to advance needed solutions to record inflation, border security, skyrocketing health care costs, and more. The good news is that AFP Action is in a position to do something about it.”
Continuing, it argued, “We know to elect better leaders, we need better candidates. And that means we need to engage earlier and in more primaries. As the presidential candidates set the tone for the entire election – we decided earlier this year to start our work in primaries at the top of the ticket: the Republican presidential primary.”
It then noted that “It’s backing Haley was a first for it, saying, “As many of you know, AFP Action has never engaged in a presidential election before, but as we said in February, to write a new chapter for our country, we need to turn the page on the past. Donald Trump and Joe Biden will only further perpetuate the country’s downward spiral in politics. Furthermore, a significant majority of voters want somebody new. The American people have shown they’re ready to move on from the current political era, so AFP Action will help them do that.”
Endorsing Haley, the statement said, “AFP Action is proud to throw our full support behind Nikki Haley, who offers America the opportunity to turn the page on the current political era, to win the Republican primary and defeat Joe Biden next November. She has what it takes to lead a policy agenda to take on our nation’s biggest challenges and help ensure our country’s best days are ahead. With the grassroots and data capability we bring to bear in this race, no other organization is better equipped to help her do it.“
Haley, thanking AFP Action for its endorsement in a post on X, said, “I’m honored to have the support of @AFPAction , including its millions of grassroots members all across the country. This election is a choice between freedom & socialism, individual liberty & big government, fiscal responsibility & spiraling debt. We have a country to save.”
The AFP Action endorsement will likely help Haley fight for second place with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, as it tremendously expands her resources, but it could also help her against Trump, as AFP Action has been one of the biggest spenders on anti-Trump ads this year.
Desantis Campaign Communications Director Andrew Romeo said, “Congratulations to Donald Trump on securing the Koch endorsement. Like clockwork, the pro-open borders, pro-jail break bill establishment is lining up behind a moderate who has no mathematical pathway of defeating the former president. Every dollar spent on Nikki Haley’s candidacy should be reported as an in-kind to the Trump campaign. No one has a stronger record of beating the establishment than Ron DeSantis, and this time will be no different.”
Featured image credit: By Bill Clark (Roll Call) – https://www.insider.com/nikki-haley-kids-daughter-rena-wedding-2023-4, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=138159468
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