Associated Press
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing the Libertarian Party National Convention on Saturday night, with many in the crowd shouting insults and decrying him for things like his COVID-19 policies, running up towering federal deficits and lying about his political record.
When he took the stage, many jeered while some supporters clad in “Make America Great” hats and T-shirts cheered and chanted “USA! USA!” It was a rare moment of Trump coming face-to-face with open detractors, which is highly unusual for someone accustomed to staging rallies in front of ever-adoring crowds.
Libertarians, who prioritize small government and individual freedoms, are often skeptical of the former president, and his invitation to address the convention has divided the party. Trump tried to make light of that by referring to the four criminal indictments against him and joking, “If I wasn’t a Libertarian before, I sure as hell am a Libertarian now.”
Trump tried to praise “fierce champions of freedom in this room” and called President Joe Biden a “tyrant” and the “worst president in the history of the United States,” prompting some in the audience to scream back: “That’s you.”
As the insults continued, Trump eventually hit back, saying “you don’t want to win” and suggesting that some Libertarians want to “keep getting your 3% every four years.”
Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson won about 3% of the national vote in 2016, but nominee Jo Jorgensen got only a bit more than 1% during 2020’s close contest.
Libertarians will pick their White House nominee during their convention, which wraps on Sunday. Trump’s appearance also gave him a chance to court voters who might otherwise support independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. who gave his own Libertarian convention speech on Friday.
Polls have shown for months that most voters do not want a 2020 rematch between Trump and President Joe Biden. That dynamic could potentially boost support for an alternative like the Libertarian nominee or Kennedy, whose candidacy has allies of Biden and Trump concerned that he could be a spoiler.
Despite the raucous atmosphere, Trump continued to press on with his speech, saying he’d come “to extend a hand of friendship” in common opposition to Biden. That prompted a chant of “We want Trump!” from supporters, but more cries of “End the Fed!” — a common refrain from Libertarians who oppose the Federal Reserve. One person who held up a sign reading “No wannabe dictators!” was dragged away by security.
Trump tried to win over the crowd by pledging to include a Libertarian in his Cabinet, but many in the crowd hissed in disbelief. The former president did get a big cheer when he promised to commute the life sentence of the convicted founder of the drug-selling website Silk Road, Ross Ulbricht, and potentially release him on time served.
That 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 much-discussed during the Libertarian convention, and many of the hundreds in the crowd for Trump’s speech hoisted “Free Ross” signs and chanted the phrase as he spoke
Despite those promises, many in the crowd remained antagonistic. One of the candidates vying for the Libertarian presidential nomination, Michael Rectenwald, declared from the stage before the former president arrived that “none of us are great fans of Donald Trump.” After his speech, Rectenwald and other Libertarian White House hopefuls took the stage to scoff at 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 vacate the first four rows. They wanted convention delegates — many of whom said they’d traveled from around the country and bought expensive tickets to the proceedings — could sit close enough to hear the speech.
Many of the original seat occupants moved, but organizers eventually brought in more seats to calm things down.
The Libertarian split over Trump was reflected by Peter Goettler, president and chief executive of the libertarian Cato Institute, who suggested in a Washington Post column that the former president’s appearance violated the gathering’s core values and that “the political party pretending to be libertarian has transitioned to a different identity.”
Trump’s campaign noted that Biden didn’t attend the Libertarian convention himself, and argued that the former president’s doing so was part of an ongoing effort to reach would-be supporters in places that are not heavily Republican — including the former president’s rally Thursday in the Bronx during a pause in his New York hush money trial.
The Libertarian ticket will try to draw support from disaffected Republicans as well as people on the left. Such voters could also gravitate toward Kennedy.
Trump didn’t dwell on Kennedy on Saturday night. But, after previously praising him and once considering him for a commission on vaccination safety, the former president has gone on the attack against Kennedy. He suggested on social media that a vote for Kennedy would be a “wasted protest vote” and that he would “even take Biden over Junior.”
The former president, while in office, referred to the COVID-19 vaccine as “one of the greatest miracles in the history of modern-day medicine.” He’s since accused Kennedy of being a “fake” opponent of vaccines.
In his speech at the Libertarian convention, Kennedy accused Trump and Biden of trampling on personal liberties in response to the pandemic. Trump bowed to pressure from public health officials and shut down businesses, Kennedy said, while Biden was wrong to mandate vaccines for millions of workers.
For his part, Biden has promoted winning the endorsement of many high-profile members of the Kennedy family, in an attempt to marginalize their relative’s candidacy.
Kevin Munoz, a spokesperson for Biden’s reelection campaign, slammed Trump and top Republicans for opposing access to abortion and supporting limits on civil society, saying in a statement Saturday, that “freedom isn’t free in Trump’s Republican Party and this weekend will be just one more reminder of that.”
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Reprinted with permission from The Associated Press.
51 comments
Hung Wiil
May 26, 2024 at 1:03 pm
F the losertarians. Most useless party ever. Trump shouldn’t have given them the time of day.
Silly Wabbit
May 26, 2024 at 1:37 pm
F Twump.
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Tom
May 26, 2024 at 2:20 pm
Apparently (and unsurprisingly) they probably regret giving him the time of day. Nice to see him out of his vacuum though, in the real world, where people can’t stand him.
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Ocean Joe
May 26, 2024 at 2:08 pm
Trump slapped them down after they booed, with the 3-4% line. But 3-4% might be crucial in this election, in some red hillbilly state.
Gary Johnson is busy looking for Aleppo.
Hung Wiil
May 27, 2024 at 3:47 pm
Yeah, losertarians had best showing in 40 years in 2016. Ask Democrats how that worked out. Twat.
Dont Say FLA
May 28, 2024 at 10:57 am
Remind me who was the only U.S. president in all of U.S. history with a perfect record of losing the American vote every single time?
I don’t think that was a “Losertarian” if that is a funny word (to your mind) for “Libertarian.” If you’re using “Losertarian” to mean G0Ps, then I withdraw this comment due to my misunderstanding.
But I do get your recently ramped up levels of anger given the closure of your local Red Blobster, Lil. You’ll have to get your grocery store mini-shrimp at the grocery store again. That sucks. I am so sorry for your loss.
Dont Say FLA
May 28, 2024 at 10:58 am
Oh and by the way, no Libertarian in all of history ever lost more counties in Iowa than Rhonda lost. Not one. Rhonda is THE biggest loser. Nobody lost more than Rhonda.
My Take
May 26, 2024 at 2:08 pm
The Libertinearianists showed some gumption and, ususual for them, good sense.
Impeach Biden
May 26, 2024 at 2:46 pm
Too bad Sleepy Joe didn’t bother attending. I’m sure he would have received a warm reception as well. His handlers were probably concerned the teleprompter might have been taken out and then, Uh, Oh. That famous lost in space look by Sleepy himself.
rick whitaker
May 26, 2024 at 3:38 pm
HOWLER MONKEY, your comment is old, tired, and repetitive. and of course as is usual with you, off topic.
Impeach Biden
May 26, 2024 at 3:41 pm
You aren’t the leader of this board, but go ahead and continue to think you are.
rick whitaker
May 26, 2024 at 3:55 pm
HOWLER MONKEY, you are the leader at being a howler monkey, me, i could care less what the maga folks think about me. i do have you figured out fairly well through the smoke screen you put up. you don’t really have any point. you just parrot the right-wing media spiel. 50 years old, grow up, act your age. the reason you make frequent ageist comments may be due to being 50, and then looking around and your not ready for the future. you’re freaking out and blaming the dems for your short sightedness. did i get it close?
Impeach Biden
May 26, 2024 at 3:47 pm
So why wasn’t Joe there Obi-Wan Kenobi? Tell us old wise one.😜
rick whitaker
May 26, 2024 at 3:59 pm
HOWLER MONKEY, joe wasn’t there because he has an election to win and does not have time for stunts. is that wise enough for you? over your head, maybe, maga satement, no.
Impeach Biden
May 26, 2024 at 4:55 pm
Just a couple of things. First off you are fine at anyone that takes a swipe at any Republican, most notably our fine Governor and Trump. Yet if anyone says derogatory word on Biden, and believe me he deserves it, you lose your mind. Sure Biden is campaigning, just like he holds press conferences, speeches, etc. They are all in a highly controlled environment with regards to what is asked and by whom. He has handlers leading him around. I’m convinced he couldn’t find AF 1 or Marine 1 on his own. Biden is basically operating just above the basement level. His handlers try to avoid long exposures because whatever they juice him up with wears off fast. Finally you want to sling barbs, then I say bring it. You do not intimidate me not do I fear you old man.
Ocean Joe
May 26, 2024 at 5:04 pm
Not to barge in, but Mr. Biden was working on his version of the “malaise” speech, because if Democrats are good at one thing, it’s losing elections to people who otherwise couldn’t win.
When Biden’s administration accomplishes something to help the American people from the Chips Act, to caps on certain drug prices, to green energy, to the Inflation Reduction Act, they treat it like classified material and bury it in Joe’s garage.
But if you insist on voting for Trump, remember we are still climbing out of the financial hit from the pandemic, worldwide inflation much higher than our own, so a Trump second term will not be handed a roaring economy like Obama gave him after 8 years of growth. Trump might do to us what he did to his casinos.
Impeach Biden
May 26, 2024 at 5:20 pm
Ocean, I have said before and will say again, it’s truly sad that this is the best and brightest these two parties bring to the American people. Both parties need a youth movement. I am convinced Biden won’t make it through another term and his VP possibly moving up to the top stop is very concerning. Between the Southern Border, world events, and the initial Democrat push to defund the police, I go with Trump, holding my nose of course.
Impeach Biden
May 26, 2024 at 5:28 pm
Ocean, I did respond in a very professional manner to you but the scrubbers got me. Sorry. Maybe it will appear later.
Ocean Joe
May 26, 2024 at 6:19 pm
IB, all responses are professional. I especially liked the one who said I was “doubling down on stupid, as usual.”
I just come here to vent, to spare my friends the opinions.
It is puzzling which comments get blocked and why.
rick whitaker
May 26, 2024 at 8:53 pm
HOWLER MONKEY, when i say certain things are over your head, it’s because i have read many of your posts that didn’t have any truth in them, what am i suppose to think. that is not a barb as you say. you are lacking in self- esteem and lash out at people that know more about a certain issue than you do. your main problem is real obvious, you get your info from the wrong sources. that has led you down a fear and hate filled rathole.
Impeach Biden
May 27, 2024 at 6:53 am
You simply can’t handle many valid points I bring up. You are so drunk on Biden Juice you can’t see straight. Oh and I don’t lack self-esteem. You are truly delusional.
Hung Wiil
May 27, 2024 at 3:49 pm
The howler monkey thing is about the most stupid thing on this site. You make earl sound relevant and smart
rick whitaker
May 27, 2024 at 4:10 pm
HUNG, no it is not. howler monkey doesn’t want to use his real name, and i don’t want the words im—– biden to come from me. howler monkey fits the person real well. he hears maga rumblings and then he howls at the dems about things they usually don’t have any control over. if you want to use a disrespectful term concerning the president of my beloved country, then you call howler monkey the disrespectful term he wants to use. as for earl, he won’t talk about the dishwasher boy incident at his bar b que shack, ask him about it.
Impeach Biden
May 28, 2024 at 1:08 am
Tennessee Rick took that term that I used on this site and turned it on me. Not an original thought comes from him. For some reason he wants my real name although many on here use stage names as well. He is probably a stalker.
rick whitaker
May 30, 2024 at 2:22 pm
HOWLER MONKEY, do you know how childish and paranoid your post is? calling me a stalker, come on you fool, why would ANYBODY want to stalk you. grow up.
Julia
May 26, 2024 at 3:17 pm
hy
Hung Wiil
May 26, 2024 at 11:17 pm
Julia,
Go die somewhere.
Dont Say FLA
May 29, 2024 at 1:39 pm
Lil, you talk to your wife like that? When she the one making all the money?
Julia
May 26, 2024 at 3:18 pm
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Julia
May 26, 2024 at 3:19 pm
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My Take
May 26, 2024 at 6:07 pm
I liked the reported cry of “SWAMP CREATURE !”
My Take
May 26, 2024 at 9:54 pm
I see some posts get slowed for moderation, but are some not-very-offensive posts actually blocked?
I’ve had a rare post not ever show up, but I kind of assumed I botched something.
Dont Say FLA
May 28, 2024 at 4:14 pm
When you hit post sometimes the page reloads real quick and you’re looking at the headline instead of your comment. That means you comment was eaten by the auto-eater that does not like certain words like the word for which i say hay hole and or hass avocado. Type that word and your comment is immediately auto-eaten. The good news is you can hit back and edit the naughty bits and try trying again until the flicking thing accepts your variation on hay hole
Dont Say FLA
May 28, 2024 at 4:17 pm
When li is u, then flicking will get you auto-eaten too.
My Take
May 28, 2024 at 7:49 pm
I have noticed that some unusual but harmless terms seem to be what triggers moderation.
Maybe anything not in its dictionary.
My Take
May 26, 2024 at 11:29 pm
The former president couldn’t win over the raucous crowd with a pledge to include a Libertarian in his cabinet.
========
Unswayed by a pledge from a notorious pathological liar.
Sounds like good sense.
Dont Say FLA
May 27, 2024 at 9:26 pm
Trump probably was not lying about placing a Libertarian in a cabinet position, but only on day one. By day two, the Libertarian will have resigned or been fired.
Trump’s “cabinet” positions are known to most folks as “temp jobs”
PeterH
May 27, 2024 at 3:23 am
1987
“….when I run for president I’ll run as a Republican. Republicans are not to bright and will vote for me.”
2016
“…..I could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and my followers would still vote for me!”
Donald Trump
JD
May 27, 2024 at 12:12 pm
Looks like Trump’s Libertarian reality check bounced.
Hung Wiil
May 27, 2024 at 3:51 pm
DJ
You are so funny. Everyone is laughing and reposting.
rick whitaker
May 27, 2024 at 4:14 pm
HUNG, JD seems witty and funny, you sust seem disrespectful. you may have asperger’s syndrome and not know what’s funny or respectful.
Dont Say FLA
May 27, 2024 at 9:28 pm
Why so sour lately, Lil? Did you get your boat out of winter storage only to discover it’s broke again and found out that the “art” you bought on the cruise ship was all made by art students and only signed by the artists? I don’t blame ya. I’d be sour too.
My Take
May 27, 2024 at 9:51 pm
Where did he get the crazy idea that fascism would appeal to Libertarians in the first place?7
Dont Say FLA
May 28, 2024 at 4:20 pm
There was this veterinarian who thought cats could fall from any height window, no maximum, and live with nothing worse than a broken leg maybe.
Because nobody takes a dead cat to the vet.
Trump truly believes he can talk anybody into anything.
Because smart people never even take his call.
My Take
May 28, 2024 at 7:58 pm
The story goes that in WW2 allied forces were trying to reduce bomber losses.
Inspectors surveyed where on returned bombers there were the most bullet and flak shrapnel holes, with the intention of providing better armor there.
Until someone pointed out that these were the bombers that had survived.
Dont Say FLA
May 28, 2024 at 10:54 pm
Nobody flies a dead airplane to the mechanic! 😀
My Take
May 28, 2024 at 7:52 pm
Have Libertarians been declared TRUMP HATERS yet?
Dont Say FLA
May 29, 2024 at 1:20 pm
I think Trump done showed his hand. One of the jurors must be a Libertarian.
If found guilty, he’s apparently going to claim “guilty” was rigged by the Libertarians. And that’s the “why” of “why did Trump go talk to the Libertarians.”
You heard it here first, folks! It was rigged! By the Libertarian juror!
Comments are closed.