The fact that Donald Trump is not universally loved on the right was evident when the former president spoke at the Libertarian Party's 2024 national convention on Saturday, May 25.
The speech underscored the bitter divisions between the Libertarian Party's Never Trumpers and its Trump-friendly, MAGA-influenced alt-right or "blood and soil" faction. Trump was loudly booed and heckled by Libertarian opponents, although his alt-right supporters showed up with pro-Trump signs.
To the Never Trump Libertarians, the influence of MAGA ideology, Trumpism and Christian nationalism is diametrically opposed to the Libertarian Party's Goldwater conservative roots. And those anti-Trump Libertarians deeply resent the inroads that the alt-right has made in their party.
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Ultimately, the Libertarian Party's 2024 presidential nomination went to Chase Oliver, an openly gay ex-Democrat who defeated nine other candidates — including Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
On Truth Social, Trump has had a lot to say about his speech at the Libertarian National Convention and the LP nomination process. According to the Daily Beast's Edith Olmsted, he has mischaracterized what actually happened.
"After a disastrous weekend at the Libertarian National Convention," Olmsted explains in an article published on Memorial Day, "Donald Trump claimed he would have cinched the third-party nomination if he had not been disqualified for failing to file the correct paperwork. On Sunday, (May 26), Libertarian Party Chair Angela McArdle ruled that because the former president did not actually submit nominating papers, he was not qualified to receive her party's nomination."
Olmsted adds, "Trump, as usual, had an alternative version of events, posting on Truth Social Sunday his reasoning for not submitting the correct documents, while adding his thoughts on the 'enthusiasm' of the crowd, who were, in fact, booing the former president, for the most part."
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The Daily Beast reporter notes that Trump was inundated with "angry heckling and boos" during his May 25 speech, adding that according to CNN, only six delegates wrote in Trump's name during the convention.
On May 26 on X, formerly Twitter, ex-Libertarian Party Treasurer Todd Hagopian wrote, "Congratulations to @realDonaldTrump for getting 6 out of 800+ votes, after begging the Libertarian National Convention to nominate him."'
In a separate tweet, Hagopian said of Trump, "I don't vote for authoritarians."
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Read the Daily Beast's full article at this link (subscription required).
