Former President Donald Trump urged Libertarian Party members on Saturday to support his campaign in the 2024 election this November.
During his remarks at the Libertarian Convention in Washington, D.C., which drew some boos from people in the audience, Trump said he was asking for a “partnership” to defeat President Joe Biden.
“Combine with us — you have to combine with us,” Trump said, eliciting some boos from people in the audience. “We cannot give Crooked Joe Biden four more years.”
Trump urged the Libertarian Party to nominate him, suggesting they would be stuck getting up to 3% support in the election otherwise. He also pledged to “put a Libertarian in my Cabinet” and in senior posts.
Although much of the media coverage focused on the jeering Trump faced, at least one of his allies in Congress said that sentiment did not reflect most of the people who showed up at the convention.
“Lots of what appeared to be paid agitators at the libertarian convention tonight,” Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) said in a post to X on his personal account.
“From what I could tell, the overwhelming share of the actual libertarians in attendance were enthusiastic and supportive of Trump. Thanks to the leadership of the Libertarian Party!” Lee added.
Trump spoke for about 33 minutes, making several promises if he is re-elected to the White House.
He vowed to commute the sentence of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht — who was given life in prison over an illicit drugs and goods website — and put together a special task force to review and eventually pardon January 6 prisoners.
Appealing to the Libertarian base, Trump talked about restraining big government and protecting “American sovereignty” from global forces. The former president said he would fight for the “fundamental freedoms”of expression, religion, owning a firearm, and not being over-taxed.
Trump additionally condemned Marxism, expressing the view that it is an “evil doctrine straight from the ashes of hell” and saying, “Teaching it to our children is considered, to us, child abuse.”
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy also spoke at the convention.
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