hearing loud boos at the Libertarian convention when requesting supporters to either nominate or vote for him.
During his appearance at the Libertarian convention, the response to former President Trump was immediate and hostile. His fans attempted to overshadow the boos with cries of "We want Trump."
"I think you should nominate me or at least vote for me, and we should win together," Trump stated. "Because the Libertarians want to vote for me... it's crucial because we have to remove the worst president in history."
Trump also mentioned, "Only do that if you want to win; if you want to lose, don't do that. Keep getting your 3% every four years" (in 2016, Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson gained over 3% of the popular vote, which was a historical high for the party).
After approximately 34 minutes, Trump concluded his speech, which was one of his shortest political discourses thus far. The Libertarian Party is projected to name their presidential nominee this Sunday.
Despite being an unusual venue for a potential Republican nominee, Trump's visit to the Libertarian convention demonstrates his campaign's increasing worries over third-party candidates. The outreach towards Libertarians follows weeks of harsh criticism from Trump aimed at Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose independent presidential bid is increasingly considered a potential worry by Trump's advisers in what is predicted to be a close election decided by a minimal margin in a few pivotal states.
Kennedy spoke at the convention on Friday, and his running mate, Nicole Shanahan, was present during Trump's address and is slated to speak on Sunday.
The events at the Washington Hilton were occasionally tumultuous, with Trump supporters and Libertarians clashing. Prior to Trump's speech, the Libertarian Party chair urged Trump supporters seated in the front rows to give way to the Libertarian delegates.
"I don't want to fight with people or beg and plead. Let's simply make room for the delegates, as they're the individuals you're attempting to persuade, correct?" Angela McArdle said.
"Now, for those of you who are Donald Trump supporters, I suggest that we all get along tonight, find common ground, and reach an understanding even if we don't agree to vote for the same person," she continued.
Before his speech, Secret Service agents seized rubber chickens distributed by Kennedy's presidential campaign to attendees.
"No lighters, no water bottles, no noisy chickens," one Secret Service agent informed the audience members waiting to pass through the security checkpoint.
Tony Lyons, co-chair of the pro-Kennedy American Values 2024 super PAC, confirmed to CNN that the group distributed the rubber chickens at the convention on Saturday.
Libertarians in the crowd occasionally confronted Trump supporters, and some attendees were ejected from the venue. One Libertarian antagonist of Trump was removed after CNN observed him assaulting a Trump-supporting audience member. Numerous individuals in the front row turned away from Trump during his speech.
One of Trump's few applause-worthy moments in his speech was when he promised to pardon Ross Ulbricht, founder of the illegal website Silk Road, allowing users to anonymously buy and sell various items, including drugs and hacking tutorials. Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 following his conviction on seven counts ranging from money laundering to drug trafficking, and numerous Libertarian convention attendees have advocated for his pardon.
Trump also gathered applause when he said he would put a Libertarian in his Cabinet and appoint Libertarians to senior positions in his possible second term.
Prior to the speech, the Trump campaign expected a chilly reception from some attendees – fellow Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, now a Trump ally, received boos when he mentioned the former president during his speech at the convention on Friday.
"Are we aware that it's not exactly a friendly territory? Yes. There will be people who wish he were there and people who don't want him there. But we're on the offensive and competing for non-traditional votes to unite the country," Trump campaign spokesman Jason Miller told CNN.
Concurrently, President Joe Biden's campaign painted Trump as "anti-freedom" prior to his address.
"Donald Trump claims his Republican Party is the party of freedom, but inform those ladies whose freedom to make their own healthcare decisions have been taken away and whose pregnancies are monitored by the government," Biden campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz said in a statement on Saturday.
Biden was also requested to speak at the convention but didn't respond, McArdle informed CNN earlier.
Following Trump's speech, Libertarian presidential candidate Chase Oliver expressed regret that Trump was invited but expressed pride that he witnessed Libertarians heckle the former president during his remarks.
"I don't like having a war criminal on this stage. I don't think he deserves a spot on this stage," Oliver remarked. "While I believe it was a mistake to have Donald Trump here, I am happy that he received a taste of a genuine Libertarian reception."
Michael Rectenwald, another Libertarian presidential candidate, asserted that his party gained some progress by inviting Trump to the convention, specifically citing the latter's dedication to reduce Ulbricht's sentence.
At the media gathering, Rectenwald expressed, "We achieved a significant political milestone by influencing a major-party candidate to commit to freeing Ross Ulbricht."
Despite this, Rectenwald admitted that Trump's promises were unlikely to entice Libertarians into endorsing him.
"None of the individuals gathered here at the Libertarian Party are susceptible to falling for Trump's manipulations," he stated.
Trent Nestle, a Libertarian delegate from Tennessee, conveyed to CNN that Trump's promise to pardon Ulbricht wouldn't be sufficient to alter his vote this November.
"I hope it happens," Nestle commented. "Nevertheless, it won't sway my decision this fall."
Priscilla Alvarez of CNN also contributed to this story.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
