A clean energy super PAC bankrolled by a left-wing billionaire is pouring millions into an effort to unseat Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., as he wages a bid for re-election in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District.

The Invest in Tomorrow Coalition super PAC had spent roughly $1.3 million on opposing Ogles and supporting his Republican challenger, Charlie Hatcher, Tennessee’s former commissioner of agriculture, and recently bought another $700,000 worth of ads.

The group has raised $6.7 million this year, making Ogles a sizable portion of their spending this cycle. A Fox News Digital review of FEC filings discovered that the super PAC is bankrolled by Chris Larsen, the California-based billionaire chairman of Ripple, which is described on its website as the «leading financial technology company that offers crypto solutions for businesses.» 

Larsen has donated $6 million to the super PAC since Feb. 2026. His latest $5 million donation to Invest in Tomorrow Coalition PAC is his second-largest single donation after donating $5,444,975 to Future Forward PAC in 2024 to support Kamala Harris’s failed presidential campaign.

TRUMP-BACKED FIREBRAND WINS ARIZONA GOP GOVERNOR PRIMARY, SETTING UP HIGH-STAKES SHOWDOWN

Larsen has also donated over $1 million to the Jane Fonda Climate PAC, over $1 million between the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and over $300,000 supporting Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., among other six-figure donations to top Democratic campaigns and PACs.

The way that Ogles sees it, it’s an attempt to show Republicans what happens when lawmakers attempt to scale back government investments in renewable energy sources.

«When you have a group spending roughly $2 million in a Republican primary, that tells you how much money they’re making off of government subsidies, and they’re upset that the government welfare has been taken away from them,» Ogles told Fox News Digital in an interview.

Larsen, who is an angel investor and climate philanthropist, is making «climate change his top priority,» according to an online bio. 

«He founded the Larsen Lam Climate Change Foundation (since renamed as the Clean Break Fund) in 2021 to guide his climate philanthropy, and is an active early investor in numerous climate tech companies, as well as several prominent climate funds,» the bio continues. «His philanthropic priorities include the climate-driven home insurance crisis, making climate change a bipartisan issue once again, and carbon dioxide removal, among many other projects.»

Ogles, a member of the fiscally minded House Freedom Caucus, has been one of the most outspoken Republicans calling for a reversal of energy initiatives passed under President Joe Biden. Among them, Ogles has argued against clean energy subsidies in Biden’s Infrastructure and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.

But more than that, Ogles thinks it’s his proximity to Trump that has made him a target.

«It’s because I’m close to the president. It is because I am outspoken. And quite frankly, it is because I speak plainly on these issues,» Ogles said.

Trump, who has endorsed Ogles, reaffirmed his support for the conservative firebrand ahead of the primary.

«Andy will be really enshrined as one of the best congressmen that you’ll ever see. He’s just fantastic,» Trump said. «Andy has always been there when we needed him and when I needed him. He’s been a great help. He’s been a source of inspiration to a lot of people in Congress.»

Figures who have donated to Invest in Tomorrow framed energy policy as an issue with electoral consequences, hinting that Ogles is on the wrong side of the issue.

TRUMP’S AMBITIOUS ENERGY BET COULD BE A WINNING HAND AS THE WORLD BURNS MORE OIL, GAS THAN EVER

United States Representative Andy Ogles joined the news event in front of the U.S. Capital to announce The Ending Chemical Abortion Act on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., United States on Sept. 28, 2023. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

«Our campaign is here to show that politicians who oppose clean energy do so at their own political peril. Andy Ogles is next,» Tom Matzzie, the PAC’s executive chairman, said in a statement to Axios.

Matzzie is also CEO of a solar energy company, CleanChoice Energy.

When asked about the comment, Ogles said he doesn’t think his views are at odds with the way voters see energy and has characterized the opposition spending as an attempt to buy a seat energy groups can control.

«If trying to build an energy sector that is self-reliant, because it’s a national security issue, makes me an extremist, then so be it.»

Ogles said he stands by his all-of-the-above energy stance. In his view, it’s not the government’s job to pick winners and losers in the energy market — especially in light of the country’s overspending challenges.

«I’m not against solar. We have a farm. I’ve got a big shop. You know, I’ve contemplated putting solar on my shop to help to run my farm. But I don’t want a government subsidy to make it work. I don’t need a government subsidy to pay for it,» Ogles said.

DEM SUPPORTED ‘GREEN NEW DEAL’ AFTER RECEIVING NEARLY $60K FROM ENERGY GROUPS, NOW WANTS CONGRESSIONAL SEAT

Rep. Andy Ogles walks through the U.S. Capitol in Washington, District of Columbia, on Feb. 3, 2026. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

«Look, at the end of the day, you know, I voted for conservative policies and that’s what America wants right now. We’re barreling towards $40 trillion in debt,» he added.

The Tennessee primary will take place on Thursday, Aug. 6.

Incertidumbre

Edificios derrumbados en La Guaira. Foto de Fabiola Ferrero para The New York Times.

Contraste

Los extensos campamentos

President Donald Trump’s effort to root out what his administration calls «woke» ideology at the Smithsonian has grown into one of the most extensive White House reviews of the institution in decades.

The Smithsonian oversees 21 museums, the National Zoo and nearly 157 million objects and specimens while receiving more than $1 billion annually in federal funding outside of private-side dollars.

The administration’s campaign has placed the taxpayer-supported institution at the center of a broader debate over patriotism, historical interpretation and the role of federally funded cultural institutions amid a growing divide over how people view and retell America’s story.

GOP LAWMAKER DEMANDS ANSWERS AFTER SMITHSONIAN CHIEF URGED MOVING BEYOND ‘AMERICA FIRST MENTALITY’

Over the past 16 months, the administration has examined museum exhibits, educational programming, internal records and leadership statements, issued multiple document requests, interviewed curators and conducted on-site museum walkthroughs.

The effort culminated in a 162-page White House report recommending sweeping reforms and announcing new executive actions aimed at implementing those recommendations.

Here’s a timeline of the major developments.

March 27, 2025: Trump launches effort to root out ‘woke’ ideology at the Smithsonian

Trump signed an executive order titled «Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History» two months into his second term. The order argues that federal cultural institutions, including the Smithsonian, have promoted «divisive» ideological narratives.

The executive action directs the Trump administration to restore what it describes as a more patriotic presentation of American history. And it tasks the White House Domestic Policy Council and Vice President JD Vance, in his role as a Smithsonian Regent, with reviewing Smithsonian exhibits and programs.

Spring–Summer 2025: White House launches Smithsonian investigation

Following Trump’s executive order, the White House Domestic Policy Council kicked-off an investigation of the Smithsonian, focusing primarily on the National Museum of American History.

Officials reviewed exhibits, educational materials, strategic plans, leadership speeches, museum programming and public statements. During that review, the council documented examples they argue prioritize divisive ideological narratives over a so-called patriotic telling of American history.

Aug. 12, 2025: White House formally puts Smithsonian on notice

The Smithsonian, the nation’s largest museum and research complex, is at the center of a White House campaign to overhaul its presentation of American history. (J. David Ake/Getty Images)

White House officials sent Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch a letter formally launching the review ordered by Trump.

The letter directs the institution to turn over exhibition plans, educational materials, internal policies and other records while outlining a review of eight Smithsonian museums to ensure exhibits «celebrate American exceptionalism» and remove what the administration calls divisive narratives.

It also sets deadlines for document production, curator interviews and on-site reviews, with museums instructed to begin revising public-facing content within 120 days.

Late 2025: White House says Smithsonian isn’t adequately celebrating America’s founding

The Trump administration has repeatedly pressed Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch for records and changes as part of its review of the institution. (Al Drago/The Washington Post/Getty Images)

The White House criticizes the museum for holding no special Independence Day programming in 2025 despite being open on July 4, discontinuing its traditional Flag Day ceremonies, and planning 250th anniversary exhibits and events.

According to the administration, those 250 installations emphasize flaws of the United States while giving insufficient attention to the Founders, the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution.

Dec. 18, 2025: White House says Smithsonian isn’t cooperating with its review

The White House tells Smithsonian Secretary Bunch in a letter that the institution has failed to provide most of the records requested during its review.

Among other things, the review requested exhibition plans, curatorial documents and governance materials be turned over.

At this time, the administration gives the Smithsonian until Jan. 13, 2026, to produce the requested records. It also reminds the institution that federal funding must be used in a manner consistent with Trump’s «Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History» executive order.

Early 2026: White House conducts on-site Smithsonian investigation

For Trump, the battle over the Smithsonian is part of a broader push to restore what he calls a more patriotic telling of American history across federally funded cultural institutions. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

White House investigators complete on-site walkthroughs of Smithsonian museums. During the visits, they reviewed exhibits, educational materials, digital content and internal planning documents as well as interviewed museum staff as part of the administration’s review.

SMITHSONIAN’S NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY PROMOTES ‘EXTREME POLITICAL ACTIVISM,’ WH REPORT ALLEGES

Investigators found during those visits exhibits that they argue emphasized restorative history, decolonization, immigration activism, DEI initiatives and social justice. Meanwhile, it claimed that the institution was downplaying America’s Founders, the nation’s achievements and patriotic themes.

The report ultimately concludes the Smithsonian project has undergone a significant shift away from its original mission, arguing exhibits increasingly emphasize social justice activism and ideological narratives rather than focus on America’s founding principles and national achievements.

May 14, 2026: White House says Smithsonian’s flagship America 250 exhibit misses the mark

The White House argued the Smithsonian’s flagship America 250 exhibit did not adequately celebrate the nation’s Founders or the American Revolution. (Al Drago/The Washington Post/Getty Images)

The museum debuts its signature exhibition commemorating America’s 250th anniversary, featuring 250 objects from its collection, including Thomas Jefferson’s writing desk, George Washington’s uniform and the Star-Spangled Banner.

The White House said just two months before the country’s 250th celebration that the exhibition repackages existing displays rather than creating a new founding-era exhibit. It also criticized the installation for failing to meaningfully celebrate America’s Founders, the Declaration of Independence or the American Revolution during the nation’s 250th birthday.

The Trump administration also said the exhibit’s promotional materials and programming downplayed patriotic themes and national symbols.

July 2026: White House delivers verdict on Smithsonian review

The White House Domestic Policy Council releases its 162-page «Saving America’s Story» report, concluding that the National Museum of American History has undergone «ideological capture.»

The report recommends removing what it describes as political activism from museum exhibits and restoring displays that emphasize America’s founding principles, national achievements and patriotic history. It says the findings stem from the Smithsonian review ordered by Trump’s March 2025 executive order.

The expansive report included images of exhibits, images of exhibits and placards, as well as curators and leaders of the museum.

It spent much of the report focusing on how the museum classified and portrayed illegal migration in its exhibits.

July 24, 2026: Trump orders federal agencies to carry out Smithsonian reforms

Hours after the report’s release, Trump signs the «Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution» executive order, directing the Interior Department, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), General Services Administrator (GSA) and the White House Domestic Policy Council to use available authorities to encourage the Smithsonian to address the report’s findings.

TRUMP ORDERS SIGNS OUTSIDE SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM AMID ROW OVER ITS DEPICTION OF AMERICAN HISTORY

A photograph of President Donald Trump and a short plaque next to it are on display at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery’s «American Presidents» exhibit on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026 in Washington. (AP Photo/Anna Johnson)

Trump’s order also instructs the National Park Service (NPS) to install temporary signs outside the National Museum of American History directing visitors to the report and describing the administration’s concerns with the museum’s presentation of American history.

The administration says its effort is intended to restore a more patriotic presentation of American history at the Smithsonian. The institution, meanwhile, has long said its mission is to preserve and present the nation’s history through scholarship, research and public education, setting the stage for continued debate over how America’s story should be told.

The Smithsonian did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.