Trump reaches out to Libertarians as worries increase about possible third-party contenders
Trump is set to address the Libertarian Party, targeting shared frustrations over President Biden's administration through a proposed speech. A recent poll at the convention offered insights into what topics his remarks should cover.
Following a wave of criticisms against Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s independent White House bid, which could potentially affect the election's outcomes in close margin states, his advisers see Kennedy as a possible issue. Trump openly verbally assaulted Kennedy at the National Rifle Association and warned his followers not to waste their votes. He also mentioned the Libertarians' potential impact on the race.
The Libertarians' 2012 presidential nominee Gary Johnson garnered more than 3% of the popular vote, which represented a pinnacle in the party's history. This number was larger than Trump's narrow winning margin over Democrat Hillary Clinton in some closely contested battlegrounds.
While Trump's team has downplayed Kennedy's capacity to dramatically alter the race, pointing to him as "a problem, not a threat," they are not taking it lightly.
Johnson, a former GOP governor of New Mexico, disputed the notion that third-party votes could significantly impact the election. He told CNN that if there were no third-party candidates, half of the votes would go to Biden and the other half to Trump. Many unenthused voters would simply remain at home.
Hope for publicity and leverage
The Libertarian Party is attracting exceptional attention from the media due to their decision to host both Trump and Kennedy, a situation regulary observed in the political arena. Aiming to maintain their influence, Convention organizers are thrilled at the prospect of increased exposure.
The prospect of Trump and Kennedy appearing at a third-party convention is likely groundbreaking in modern political history. McArdle, the Libertarian Party chairwoman, receiving Trump's acceptance within 48 hours of the invitation, reinforces the excitement surrounding the event. Biden, on the other hand, declined the invite.
Kennedy has requested Trump to participate in a debate, an offer that has gone unanswered. McArdle, along with other Libertarians, doubts that convention attendees are easily swayed by Trump's gestures.
"These are people who have invested time and money in supporting their Libertarian candidates," she stated. "No one is worried about them changing sides."
Wendy Hamlin, a Libertarian from Florida, attended the convention in Washington, DC, and believes this momentous event showcases Libertarian importance in the political landscape. Despite her affirmation, none of the Libertarians she knows are considering voting for Trump.
"It's a historic moment for the party," Hamlin said. "I don't know anyone who plans to vote for him because of this."
The mission for Trump isn't to win over avid Libertarians, but rather to persuade independent or opinionated voters who are receptive to his message.
Phil Anderson, a Libertarian running for Senate in Wisconsin, has not detected any GOP outreach to Libertarian-inclined voters in his state. Anderson noted, "I haven't seen or heard any evidence of that."
Brian Hughes, Trump's spokesperson, acknowledged strong support for Trump's organization, affirming their outreach efforts and confidence in their voter base.
"We've already shown solid organizational strength through our primary victories and exceptional polling results," Hughes said, "and we are also engaging with Libertarians, Republicans, independents, and anyone in between."
Trump is simultaneously attempting to sway Kennedy supporters away from his opponent. National polls have shown Kennedy's backing reaching double-digits (16% in a CNN poll led by SSRS), indicating that he could be derailing both Biden and Trump's popularity. This spurred Trump to label Kennedy a "Democrat plant" in a recent video.
During the weekend, Trump mentioned the similarities between Libertarians and Republicans that might result in a collaboration with advocates for smaller government, less taxation, and lesser spending. Although Libertarians are likely to concur with conservatives on the basic desire for a more limited federal government, they frequently differ with Republicans on LGBTQ rights and marijuana regulations.
"They’re individuals of good sense, generally," Trump commented, though he also acknowledged a few divergences.
Nonetheless, Johnson does not see much common ground between his party and modern Republicans, even Trump. He cited the massive rise in federal debt and expenditures under Trump and the 2020 lockdown policies as factors that drove him to vote against Reagan during the second term, who "exploded the deficit."
"I didn't vote for Reagan the second time because he greatly increased the deficit, and that's Trump," Johnson said, anticipating a few topics that would appeal to the crowd but "a lot of things that don't jive."
The Libertarian party's poll did not display significant overlaps between Trump's platform and the attendees' topballot priorities. The highest-ranked preferences included abolishing the federal income tax, the Federal Reserve, and freeing WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange.
The poll is not scientific but was open to convention attendees and party members who paid $10 to join.
On Friday night, Vivek Ramaswamy, a previous Republican presidential candidate, pleaded with libertarians attending the convention to support Trump in order to influence a potential Trump administration.
"I believe the future of this country hinges on a Libertarian-Republican alliance that will save this nation," Ramaswamy said to the convention.
The Libertarian crowd sounded off their disapproval, with some individuals angrily cursing Trump and the Republican Party.
D'Anne Welch, a 73-year-old Libertarian since 1990, is concerned about the party's enthusiastic embrace of Trump's approach and its implication of the party's future direction. She is contemplating voting for Biden to prevent Trump's re-election. Along with some close Libertarian friends from Texas, she brought noisemakers to Washington hoping to disrupt Trump's address.
"He never ought to have been invited," Welch said.
Trump isn't the only one vying for the support of potential Libertarian voters.
Although Kennedy has declared he will not run on the Libertarian ticket, he has networked with party officials before he left the Democratic competition in the fall to run as an independent. He met with McArdle in July in Tennessee, where they talked about their shared values, such as opposition to vaccine mandates and public health restrictions throughout the pandemic.
Kennedy and McArdle met again confidentially after his performance at the California Libertarian Party's state convention in February.
Running on the Libertarian ticket was seen as a way for Kennedy to bypass ballot access requirements and use the party's access to state ballots in many locations. Currently, Kennedy is officially on the ballot in only six states, whereas the Libertarians are on the ballot in 38 states.
In his remarks at the California event, Kennedy championed environmental protection while criticizing social media censorship and the government's "totalitarian control" exerted during the pandemic. He did not mention Trump by name.
However, Kennedy's appearance at the California event did not help him gain traction with Libertarians. In a vote of 95 delegates at the event, Kennedy received just one vote. In April, he also told ABC News that he had ruled out the Libertarian ticket.
In recent weeks, Kennedy has intensified his critiques of Trump, including on his pandemic management. Last weekend, Kennedy's campaign started selling shirts on its website that read “Vote Trump/Fauci 2024” while featuring the slogan "Give us another shot!" as a satirical jab at Dr. Anthony Fauci's significant part in the Trump administration's Covid-19 response.
Kennedy, a steadfast anti-war advocate who opposes sending the US to back Ukraine's war efforts, has also accused Trump of advocating for more aid to Ukraine.
"(Trump) embraced Speaker (Mike) Johnson and President Biden and they agreed to send $64 billion more over to Ukraine," Kennedy told his supporters at a rally in Austin, Texas, earlier this month. "Wouldn't you rather that 64 billion be spent here in the United States?"
After a rally in Colorado on Sunday, Kennedy informed CNN that Libertarians are likely to agree with his views on the environment, foreign policy, and Covid-19.
"I believe my philosophy and my approach, particularly environmental issues for years, are aligned with the free market method that attracts Libertarians," he said. "I'm against war, which is vital for Libertarians. I support constitutional rights. President Trump abrogated our constitutional rights during Covid. Thus, I think Libertarians inclined to support me if they adhere to their ideals."
During his address at the convention on Friday, Kennedy issued blunt rebuke of Trump and Biden, but focused primarily on attacking Trump. He criticized the lockdown restrictions, the mask mandates, and Trump's "actions that ruined individual liberties at an unprecedented scale."
"With the lockdowns, the mask mandates, the travel restrictions, President Trump supervised the biggest infringement on individual liberty this country has ever seen," Kennedy said.
Marcus Schuff, aged 42 and residing in Temecula, California, admitted he may opt for the Libertarian party in the 2024 presidential elections, contingent on the nominee. However, if not, he shared his inclination towards supporting Kennedy rather than any other candidate, including Trump. Schuff vehemently disagrees with Trump's response to the Covid-19 crisis, emphasizing how the latter closed international trade and didn't take measures to maintain functionality when some state Governors were enforcing shutdowns. Additionally, Schuff finds Trump's foreign policy decisions inadequate.
Schuff was specifically referencing an incident in 2020, when Trump authorized a drone strike in Iraq, killing top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani. This action is a prominent example of Trump's foreign policy decisions that Schuff criticizes.
"Hence, I believe Libertarians would hesitate following Trump," Schuff expressed.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
