Former President Donald Trump’s address at the Libertarian National Convention on Saturday was met with boos from the crowd, signaling that he had not earned the support of libertarian voters. Despite some MAGA supporters in attendance chanting for Trump, they were outnumbered by libertarian cheers like “end the Fed.”
Concerns about the optics of Trump’s appearance potentially conflating the Libertarian Party with the Republican Party were dispelled by the negative reception he received. This made it clear that libertarians do not see Trump as their candidate. Even though Trump promised to appoint a libertarian to his Cabinet and free Ross Ulbricht, the crowd remained unconvinced of his libertarian credentials.
While Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s speech was well-received, with promises to pardon Edward Snowden and drop charges against Julian Assange, Trump faced sustained booing for most of his speech. He grew increasingly hostile towards the crowd, questioning their desire to win by not supporting him as the nominee.
Many libertarians support the Libertarian Party precisely because they do not trust either Biden or Trump, as both parties have advanced anti-libertarian policies. The party’s refusal to endorse Trump’s candidacy angered some of his supporters, including Sen. Mike Lee, who falsely blamed “paid agitators” for the negative response.
Overall, Trump’s reception at the convention highlighted the lack of trust and support he has among libertarians, despite his efforts to appeal to them. Merely showing up was not enough to win over this particular audience.
