Former President Donald Trump is set to address the Libertarian National Party at their convention on May 25th. The Libertarian Party, which has often struggled to bring its candidates onto the main stage with major party candidates, views Trump’s upcoming appearance as a major victory.
In preparation for his speech, the Libertarian Party will present Trump with a list of their top ten issues, aiming to influence his policy positions. The interaction is seen as a chance to bridge ideological gaps and foster a dialogue that could shape the political landscape.
“Libertarians are some of the most independent and thoughtful thinkers in our Country, and I am honored to join them in Washington, DC, later this month,” Trump said. “We must all work together to help advance freedom and liberty for every American, and a second Trump Administration will achieve that goal. I look forward to speaking at the Libertarian Event, which will be attended by many of my great friends.”
“We all have to remember that our goal is to defeat the Worst President in the History of the United States, BY FAR, Crooked Joe Biden. If Libertarians join me and the Republican Party, where we have many Libertarian views, the election won’t even be close. We cannot have another four years of death, destruction, and incompetence. WE WILL WORK TOGETHER AND WIN!”
The theme of this year’s Libertarian National Convention is “Become Ungovernable.” The theme reflects the party’s response to what they consider authoritarian actions by federal and state governments in recent years.
In the 2020 U.S. presidential election, the Libertarian Party candidate Jo Jorgensen received about 1.1 million votes, which was roughly 1.2% of the total votes cast. The total was the third-highest in the party’s history, though it was lower than the 2016 results when the Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson received over 4.4 million votes, or about 3.3% of the total.
In August, the chairwoman of the Libertarian National Committee was critical of the indictment of former President Trump for his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, noting that it is not rare for individuals to question the outcomes of elections.
“Many past candidates, including presidential nominee Al Gore, and Hillary Clinton who, in 2016, called Trump an ‘illegitimate President’ who ‘stole the election,’ have routinely refused to concede elections and forced tedious recounts involving Supreme Court decisions,” Angela McArdle said in a statement.
“For 50 years, we’ve been trying to get our candidates on the main stage with major party POTUS candidates and we’ve finally succeeded in bringing one to our stage,” McArdle stated today. “We will do everything in our power to use this incredible opportunity to advance the message of liberty.”
As of May 1, the latest update on the national polls for the 2024 presidential election shows Trump leading with 41.6% of the vote, followed closely by President Joe Biden at 40.8%. Robert Kennedy Jr. trails with 10.3%. This year, independent candidate RFK Jr. is likely to appear on the ballot in nearly all states.