Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump speaks at the Libertarian National Convention at the Washington Hilton in Washington, Saturday, May 25, 2024.
José Luis Magana/AP/Jose Luis Magana/AP
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José Luis Magana/AP/Jose Luis Magana/AP
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump was booed repeatedly as he addressed the Libertarian Party National Convention Saturday night, with many in the crowd shouting insults and decrying him for things like his COVID-19 policies , his colossal federal deficits and his lies about his political record.
When he took the stage, many jeered while some supporters dressed in “Make America Great” hats and T-shirts clapped and chanted “USA!” UNITED STATES!” It was a rare moment when Trump came face to face with open detractors, which is highly unusual for someone used to holding rallies in front of adoring crowds.
Libertarians, who favor small government and individual freedoms, are often skeptical of the former president, and his invitation to address the convention divided the party. Trump tried to make light of this by referencing the four criminal indictments against him and joking: “If I wasn’t a libertarian before, I certainly am now.” »
Trump attempted to praise the “fervent champions of freedom in this room” and called President Joe Biden a “tyrant” and the “worst president in American history,” prompting some audience members to answer: “It’s you”.
As the insults continued, Trump eventually fired back, saying “you don’t want to win” and suggesting that some libertarians want to “keep getting your 3 percent every four years.”
Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson won about 3% of the national vote in 2016, but candidate Jo Jorgensen only got a little more than 1% in the tight 2020 race.
Libertarians will choose their White House candidate at their convention, which ends Sunday. Trump’s appearance also gave him an opportunity to court voters who might otherwise support independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who delivered his own speech at the Libertarian convention on Friday.
Polls have shown for months that most voters do not want a rematch between Trump and President Joe Biden in 2020. This dynamic could potentially strengthen support for an alternative like the Libertarian candidate or Kennedy, whose candidacy has raised fears to allies of Biden and Trump that it could be a spoiler.
Despite the raucous atmosphere, Trump continued to deliver his speech, saying he had come to “extend a hand of friendship” in common opposition to Biden. This prompted a cry of “We want Trump!” from supporters, but more cries of “End the Fed!” ” – a common refrain from libertarians who oppose the Federal Reserve. A person holding up a sign reading “No wannabe dictators!” » was taken away by security.
Trump tried to convince the crowd by pledging to include a libertarian in his cabinet, but many in the crowd whistled in disbelief. The former president was widely applauded when he promised to commute the life sentence of convicted drug-selling website Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht and possibly release him after his sentence is completed.
This was designed to energize libertarian activists who believe government investigators overreached in building their case against Silk Road, and who generally oppose criminal drug policies more broadly. Ulbricht’s case was widely discussed at the Libertarian convention, and several hundred people present for Trump’s speech held up “Free Ross” signs and chanted the phrase as he spoke.
Despite these promises, many participants remained hostile. One of the candidates vying for the Libertarian presidential nomination, Michael Rectenwald, said from the stage before the former president’s arrival that “none of us are a big fan of Donald Trump.” After his speech, Rectenwald and other libertarian White House candidates took the stage to mock Trump and his speech.
Those for and against Trump even clashed over seating arrangements. About two hours before the former president’s arrival, libertarian organizers asked Trump supporters in the crowd to leave the first four rows. They wanted convention delegates — many of whom said they had traveled from across the country and purchased expensive tickets to the debates — to be able to sit close enough to hear the speech.
Many of the occupants of the original seats moved out, but organizers eventually added more seats to calm things down.
The libertarian divide around Trump was reflected by Peter Goettler, president and CEO of the libertarian Cato Institute, who suggested in a Washington Post article that the former president’s appearance violated the rally’s core values and that “the political party claiming to be libertarian has made a transition.” to a different identity.
The Trump campaign noted that Biden did not attend the Libertarian convention himself and argued that the former president’s attendance was part of an ongoing effort to reach potential supporters in places that are not. not strongly Republican — including the former president’s rally Thursday in Washington. Bronx during a break in his secret trial in New York.
The Libertarian Party will attempt to attract support from disaffected Republicans as well as left-wing citizens. These voters could also turn to Kennedy.
Trump did not dwell on Kennedy on Saturday evening. But, after already praising him and considering him for a commission on vaccination safety, the former president launched into the attack on Kennedy. He suggested on social media that a vote for Kennedy would be a “pointless protest vote” and that he would “even take Biden over Junior.”
The former president, while in office, called the COVID-19 vaccine “one of the greatest miracles in the history of modern medicine.” He has since accused Kennedy of being a “fake” vaccine opponent.
In his speech to the Libertarian convention, Kennedy accused Trump and Biden of trampling on personal freedoms in response to the pandemic. Trump caved to pressure from public health officials and closed businesses, Kennedy said, while Biden was wrong to mandate vaccines for millions of workers.
For his part, Biden encouraged securing the support of many prominent members of the Kennedy family, in an effort to marginalize the candidacy of their relatives.
Kevin Munoz, a spokesman for Biden’s re-election campaign, criticized Trump and top Republicans for opposing abortion access and supporting limits on civil society, saying in a statement Saturday that “Liberty isn’t free in Trump’s Republican Party and this weekend will be fair.” another reminder of that.
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