Trump, RFK Jr. Face Hostile Reception at Libertarian Convention Amid Efforts to Sway Voters

 Trump, RFK Jr. Face Hostile Reception at Libertarian Convention Amid Efforts to Sway Voters

Washington — This weekend, former President Donald Trump and independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tried to appeal to the Libertarian Party at their convention in Washington, D.C., but their efforts were largely rejected. The crowd interrupted and mocked both candidates during their speeches.

Chaotic Scene at Trump's Speech

As Trump took the stage on Saturday, chaos ensued. Libertarians clashed with pro-Trump attendees, resulting in several people being removed from the room. The crowd was divided, with jeers, boos, and chants directed at Trump.

"You can either nominate us and give us the position or give us your votes," Trump said as he left the stage to boos.

Trump responded to the crowd's hostility by telling them to "keep getting your 3% [of the national vote] every four years," adding, "maybe you don't want to win."

Libertarian Party's Struggle for Votes

In past elections, the Libertarian Party has struggled to gain a significant share of the popular vote. Jo Jorgensen, their nominee in 2020, received less than 1.2% of the vote. In 2016, Gary Johnson managed to get about 3.3%.

Trump's Pitch and Controversial Stance

During his speech, Trump called for the commutation of Ross Ulbricht's life sentence. Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road website, was found guilty of multiple felonies related to the black market site, which allowed users to buy and sell products anonymously, including drugs. The Libertarian Party has made freeing Ulbricht a part of its platform.

However, Trump’s stance on drug dealers has been inconsistent. During his 2024 reelection campaign announcement, he called for the death penalty for drug dealers.

Kennedy's Warmer Reception

Kennedy, who spoke on Friday, received a warmer reception than Trump. He promised to pardon government whistleblower Edward Snowden, who is currently exiled in Russia, and to drop espionage charges against Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder battling U.S. attempts to extradite him from Britain. Both figures are highly regarded by Libertarians. Kennedy also criticized Trump for his handling of the pandemic, claiming that Trump violated the Constitution by allowing lockdowns and travel restrictions.

Kennedy's remarks on Snowden and Assange drew cheers from the crowd. However, some Libertarians felt he wasn't a true candidate for their party.

Controversy Over Inviting Trump and Kennedy

The decision by Libertarian Party leadership to host Trump and Kennedy was controversial and led to aggressive reactions from some delegates who wanted to exclude both candidates from the event.

Neither Trump nor Kennedy is seeking the Libertarian nomination, but both hoped to win over some uncommitted Libertarian voters.

Invitation Declined by President Biden

Convention organizers also invited President Biden, but he declined to deliver remarks. Libertarian Party leaders said they invited the candidates to give members a chance to speak directly to those who might win the White House in November.

"We are denied a place on the debate stage, so we decided to make our own stage the focal point of the world's eyes," said Brian McWilliams, Libertarian National Party communications director.

Business Session Chaos

During a business session on Friday, several delegates shouted profanities at the Libertarian Party chair, Angela McArdle, in protest of Trump and Kennedy speaking at the convention. Security later escorted one man out of the session.

Libertarian Voters' Reactions

Arielle Shack, a Libertarian voter at the convention, attended Kennedy's speech in protest. She traveled from New Jersey to represent other New Jersey Libertarian voters who felt Kennedy and Trump should not have been invited because they were not true Libertarians.

"We don't want people that are not Libertarians here. If they don't have our principles, we're not going to vote for them," Shack said. "You're not gonna see Libertarians coming in, voting for a Kennedy, a Kennedy Democrat. He didn't get the Democratic [candidacy], so now he wants to be independent. But I think we can see right through that."

Another Libertarian voter, Richard Edgar from New Jersey, said inviting both Trump and Kennedy was a "slap in the face" to Libertarian voters, who expected to hear from Libertarian candidates.

Long-time Libertarian Members' Views

Michael Reeves, a Libertarian delegate from Daphne, Alabama, who has been a party member for about 25 years, said that Trump and Kennedy's attendance at the convention "speaks well for the influence that we could exert on an election at this point, that they feel like they need to cater to us in any way."

Reeves said he would likely vote for the Libertarian nominee after sitting out in 2020. He felt Kennedy's speech was "not bold enough" and was "disappointed" by

 Trump's first term in the White House.

"I thought he had an opportunity to really make some changes in D.C., and he didn't," Reeves said about Trump. "The best we can say is that he didn't start any new wars, and that's a pretty low bar."

Critique of Both Major Parties

Reeves added that both Democrats and Republicans are moving the country towards a "more collectivist and authoritarian state."

"To me, they represent essentially the same thing, the things that they disagree about are kind of minor compared to the things that they do agree about," Reeves said. "And they make all the wrong calls on the things that they do agree about."