By Former President Donald Trump faced a tumultuous reception as he addressed the Libertarian National Convention on Saturday night, battling through boos, heckling, and outbursts while attempting to garner support from Libertarian voters. Trump made history as the first former president to speak at the convention, where the Libertarian Party is set to choose its own presidential nominee this weekend in Washington, D.C.
Throughout his speech, Trump encountered a mix of boos and cheers from the crowd, with some attendees turning their backs on him and screaming over his pleas for Libertarians to join forces with Republicans to defeat President Joe Biden. “Now I think you should nominate me or at least vote for me because the Libertarians want to vote for me and most of them will,” Trump shouted over the divided audience.
Prior to his speech, Trump spent time backstage with rapper Afroman, known for his 2000 hit “Because I Got High.” The party’s leadership had requested that party delegates sit in the front seats, while Trump’s MAGA supporters were asked to move toward the back, resulting in his most vocal supporters having to shout over the front of the audience, who were more likely to express their disapproval.
As interruptions persisted, Trump grew more comfortable taunting the crowd, questioning the purpose of the Libertarian Party consistently receiving around three percent of the vote in presidential races. In an effort to win over the audience, he committed to appointing a Libertarian to his Cabinet and placing Libertarians in senior posts if elected.
Trump argued that he shared common ground with Libertarians, citing the numerous indictments he currently faces and his opposition to a government that spies on political campaigns. He also pledged to stop “Joe Biden’s crusade to crush crypto” and promised to keep “Elizabeth Warren and her goons away from bitcoin.”
One of the most well-received moments of the night came when Trump vowed to commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the darknet website Silk Road, who is currently serving a life sentence in prison.
The atmosphere at the convention was charged even before Trump took the stage, with Libertarian and MAGA factions clashing and shouting down Republican Sen. Mike Lee as he attempted to highlight some of the ex-president’s more Libertarian-leaning accomplishments. The convention’s motto, “become ungovernable,” was embraced by the crowd, with several attendees being removed by security.
Despite the tumultuous reception, Trump remained determined to win over the Libertarian voters, emphasizing the need for unity to defeat what he described as the “radical left Democrat Party” and “Crooked Joe Biden.”
