US Republican Party's biggest donor Charles Koch has likened the choice between Democratic presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton and her Republican rival Donald Trump to a choice between cancer and a heart attack, implying a lack of options for American voters in the upcoming presidential elections.
Koch made the comment in an interview on Monday, expressing his reluctance to choose between Clinton and Trump, as the two are involved in a tight race in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election in the United States.
“If I had to vote for cancer or heart attack, why would I vote for either?” Koch said, adding that, “Why do I have to? Are you going to put a gun to my head?”
When asked what he thought of the presidential race, the Republican mega donor replied, “I see two people that, as of this point, we’re not supporting.”
Koch also accused the media of spinning his words in an interview he had in April about whether he would endorse Clinton in the presidential race.
“I said it’s possible if she totally changed everything she stood for. And they spun that around to I might support Hillary,” he said.
As for the Republican presumptive nominee, Koch described Trump as “a fine fellow underneath", but he said he found the New York businessman’s principles and policies “antithetical” to his own.
"When you look at our guiding principles, you see that his guiding principles are in many ways antithetical to them and a great many of his policies are antithetical," Koch said.
Charles Koch (pictured blow) and his brother, David, wield significant financial and political influence on US politics, both directly and indirectly, via various advocacy and lobbying organizations.
The brothers are the sons of Fred C. Koch, who founded Koch Industries, the second-largest privately held company in the United States.
The brothers, who have contributed heavily to conservative campaigns and think tanks, are among the best known Republican donors, and potential GOP candidates court their favor.
The Kochs spent some $400 million on US politics in 2015 and are planning to cash out about $900 million to shape this year’s presidential election.