Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak during Saturday's Libertarian National Convention, and he may encounter a particularly cold reception, according to a new report.
NBC News reported that "if Friday night's program is any indication, [Trump] could be facing a hostile crowd" in his Saturday address. According to the network, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy — a former GOP presidential primary contender now vying to be Trump's running mate — tried and failed to reassure the audience that the 45th president of the United States was an ally of their cause.
"I'm speaking to you as a libertarian at my own core. I have gotten to know Donald Trump over the course of the last several years and the last several months," Ramaswamy said, with the audience booing in response to his mention of the former president. He invited the crowd to support the presumptive Republican nominee, saying they had a chance to "influence" his administration if he won the November election.
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However, libertarians present at the gathering were not as enthused about the ex-president during the convention's proceedings. In a separate session discussing rules and motions, NBC reported that one libertarian stood up and suggested "we go tell Donald Trump to go f— himself." That proposal was reportedly met with applause and cheers from the audience.
"That was my motion too!" another attendee said. "We are a Libertarian convention looking to nominate Libertarians. We do not need to give that time to non-Libertarians."
The network further reported that another man responded to that exchange by starting a "f— Donald Trump" chant.
Libertarians' lack of enthusiasm about Trump may be philosophical in nature, as the primary underlying fundamental ideology of libertarianism is the minimization of the public sector's power and influence in society. Trump, on the other hand, has publicly stated views on his desire to expand the power of the executive branch, saying he would govern as a "dictator." The pro-Trump "Project 2025" initiative by the far-right Heritage Foundation aims to consolidate executive authority even further and convert the bulk of the federal civil service into an army of more than 50,000 political appointees.
Convention attendees' antipathy toward Trump suggests he may have an uphill battle to climb in order to attract swing state libertarians to his 2024 campaign. Avi Rachlin, who is a 22-year-old Michigan voter, told NBC that even though he voted for Trump in 2020, he plans to cast a ballot for the Libertarian Party's candidate this fall.
"People say that a third party vote is a wasted vote. You’re voting for the other team," Rachlin said. "And I don’t see it that way. I think it sends a strong message of disapproval with the current contenders for both offices."
Libertarians arguably cost Trump several swing states in the 2020 election, which may be why he's attempting to win them over on Saturday. In Arizona, for example, Trump lost the Grand Canyon State to President Joe Biden by less than 11,000 votes statewide. However, Libertarian Party candidate Jo Jorgensen won more than 50,000 votes in Arizona. Likewise, in Georgia, Biden won by just under 12,000 votes. Jorgensen, however, got more than 62,000 votes. Jorgensen also got 38,491 total votes in Wisconsin, where Biden beat Trump by fewer than 21,000 total votes statewide.
Click here to read NBC's report in its entirety.