Just what Republicans need: a family feud less than 100 days before midterms.

Say what you will about some of the Koch brothers' positions on conservative issues; you have to wonder if it's a wise move to pick a fight with someone who wants to give you $400 million in campaign contributions.  That's how much the Koch brothers' vast, influential network of individuals and organizations have pledged for the 2018 midterms.

About 99% of that money goes to Republicans, as well as conservative and libertarian organizations and causes.  But the Republican National Committee is warning donors to stay away from the Koch network and is warning candidates not to take money from them.

Why?  It appears that after a meeting of the Koch network in Colorado Springs, where some not very nice things were said about the president, Donald Trump decided that the GOP didn't need half a billion dollars to maintain control of the House and Senate.  So Trump, as is his wont, lashed out at the brothers.

Politico:

"The globalist Koch Brothers, who have become a total joke in real Republican circles, are against Strong Borders and Powerful Trade. I never sought their support because I don't need their money or bad ideas. They love my Tax & Regulation Cuts, Judicial picks & more. I made..... ....them richer."

"Their network is highly overrated, I have beaten them at every turn," he added.  "They want to protect their companies outside the U.S. from being taxed, I'm for America First & the American Worker – a puppet for no one. Two nice guys with bad ideas.  Make America Great Again!"

The Koch brothers did not contribute to any GOP presidential candidate in 2016, so the idea that Trump "beat them" is absurd.  And the criticism of both Trump and the RNC echoes the worst conspiracy theories about the Kochs that the Democrats use to attack them:

"Some groups who claim to support conservatives forgo their commitment when they decide their business interests are more important than those of the country or Party," RNC Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel wrote in a memo to party contributors on Thursday afternoon.  "This is unacceptable."

In the memo, McDaniel notes that the RNC has long expressed concerns about the Koch network, which has developed its own data program for Republican candidates to use.  The Koch data program rivaled the one that had been created by the RNC.

McDaniel also warns Republican candidates to steer clear of the Kochs.  While some GOP contenders have chosen to use the Koch data program over the years, McDaniel argues that decision could come at a cost.  If the Kochs decide to help Democrats going forward, she argues, that could include a future opponent.

"From the beginning, the RNC had concerns about any outside entity building a data operation to compete with ours because we knew they could potentially weaponize that data against Republicans if their business interests conflicted with electing Republicans," McDaniel writes.  "Sadly, our concerns were recently proven true."

Those "concerns" are due to the Koch network refusing to give money to North Dakota Senate candidate Kevin Cramer, who is running against Democratic incumbent Heidi Heitkamp.  Trump himself has praised Heitkamp, and she is a likely "yes" vote on Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh.  Heitkamp is the closest thing the Democrats have to a moderate, and some of her views reflect those of the brothers.  The point is simple: Trump and the RNC are questioning the integrity of the Koch brothers at a time that Democrats are outraising Republicans by a substantial margin.

Republicans and the Koch brothers agree on probably 90% of the issues.  But apparently, that's just not good enough.  In the age of Trump, absolute obedience and obeisance is what is required.

There is no rule that says any organization has to give to one political party.  And despite the fact that the Koch brothers are giving 99% of their cash to Republicans, the RNC and Trump believe that GOP candidates should try to win without the most powerful network of donors in the Republican Party.

Can you say "suicide"?