Current:Home > BackLibertarians choose Chase Oliver as presidential nominee, rejecting Trump, RFK Jr.-LoTradeCoin
Libertarians choose Chase Oliver as presidential nominee, rejecting Trump, RFK Jr.
View Date:2024-12-23 23:03:51
The Libertarian Party on Sunday chose party activist Chase Oliver as its presidential nominee, rejecting both former President Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after each spoke at the party's convention over the weekend.
Third parties have rarely been competitive in U.S. presidential elections and the Libertarian candidate four years ago won 1% of the vote. But the party's decision is attracting more attention this year because of the rematch between Trump and President Joe Biden, which could hinge again on small vote margins in a handful of contested states.
"We did it! I am officially the presidential nominee," Oliver celebrated in a post Sunday on X, formerly Twitter. "It's time to unify and move forward for liberty."
Trump spoke at the Libertarian convention Saturday night in Washington and was repeatedly booed by many in the room. The speech didn't pay off with the endorsement he'd requested, though Republican allies praised him for choosing to appear before an unfriendly crowd.
Kennedy received a friendlier reception when he spoke on Friday and attacked both Trump and Mr. Biden over their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. He had talked up his support for the Libertarians and an endorsement could have helped him expedite the process of gaining ballot access in all 50 states, perhaps the biggest hurdle he faces in qualifying for the first presidential debate in June hosted by CNN.
Libertarian Party Chair Angela McArdle confirmed Kennedy had fulfilled the requirements to be the party's nominee. "Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has sought the nomination here," she told reporters. However, he was only able to muster the support of nine of the delegates, which was only 2% of the vote, and was eliminated in the first round of voting.
Trump claimed that he didn't seek the Libertarian nomination because he wasn't allowed to do so.
"The reason I didn't file paperwork for the Libertarian Nomination, which I would have absolutely gotten if I wanted it (as everyone could tell by the enthusiasm of the Crowd last night!), was the fact that, as the Republican Nominee, I am not allowed to have the Nomination of another Party," he said in a post on social media.
Libertarians prioritize small government and individual freedoms, with a mix of policy positions that fall on different parts of the political spectrum — liberal, conservative or neither.
Oliver is an activist from Atlanta who previously ran for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House from Georgia. On his campaign website, he calls for major cuts to the federal budget with a view toward balancing the budget, abolishing the death penalty, closing all overseas military bases and ending military support to Israel and Ukraine.
Allison Novelo contributed to this report.
- In:
- Joe Biden
- Elections
- Donald Trump
- Politics
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
- Atlanta
veryGood! (6562)
Related
- Sister Wives’ Meri Brown Shares Hysterical Farmers Only Dating Profile Video After Kody Split
- A plane slips off the runway and crashes in Nepal, killing 18 passengers and injuring the pilot
- Abortion rights supporters report having enough signatures to qualify for Montana ballot
- Judge asked to block slave descendants’ effort to force a vote on zoning of their Georgia community
- Glen Powell Addresses Rumor He’ll Replace Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible Franchise
- Democrats hope Harris’ bluntness on abortion will translate to 2024 wins in Congress, White House
- Gunman opens fire in Croatia nursing home, killing 6 and wounding six, with most victims in their 90s
- Surprise blast of rock, water and steam sends dozens running for safety in Yellowstone
- KFC sues Church's Chicken over 'original recipe' fried chicken branding
- Netanyahu looks to boost US support in speech to Congress, but faces protests and lawmaker boycotts
Ranking
- Forget the bathroom. When renovating a home, a good roof is a no-brainer, experts say.
- Hydrothermal explosion at Biscuit Basin in Yellowstone National Park damages boardwalk
- Olympic gold-medal swimmers were strangers until living kidney donation made them family
- Bangladesh protests death toll nears 180, with more than 2,500 people arrested after days of unrest
- Amazon launches an online discount storefront to better compete with Shein and Temu
- House leaders announce bipartisan task force to probe Trump assassination attempt
- U.S. home prices reach record high in June, despite deepening sales slump
- Former US Army civilian employee sentenced to 15 years for stealing nearly $109 million
Recommendation
-
Timothée Chalamet Details How He Transformed Into Bob Dylan for Movie
-
Simone Biles won’t be required to do all four events in Olympic gymnastics team final
-
Adidas apologizes to Bella Hadid following backlash over shoe ad linked to 1972 Munich Olympics
-
Illinois woman sentenced to 2 years in prison for sending military equipment to Russia
-
Judge sets April trial date for Sarah Palin’s libel claim against The New York Times
-
Old Navy Jeans Blowout: Grab Jeans Starting at Under $14 & Snag Up to 69% Off Styles for a Limited Time
-
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigns after Trump shooting security lapses
-
Man pleads guilty to bribing a Minnesota juror with a bag of cash in COVID-19-related fraud case