Trump booed, heckled and called ‘worst president’ at Libertarian convention

With the United States presidential elections just months away, former US president Donald Trump and his successor Joe Biden have ramped up efforts to reach as many voters as they can to garner support. However, people at the Libertarian Party National Convention were not a fan of the former president and they made sure to tell him that loud and clear as Trump was repeatedly booed and heckled by the crowd he was addressing.

‘Worst president’

At the Libertarian National Convention, on Saturday (May 25) night, Trump addressed Libertarians, a group which believes in limited government and individual freedom.

The former president’s typical talking points were not enough to impress the crowd, marking a change from the adulation he receives from his supporters at his typical cult-like rallies.

When the former president took the stage in Washington, he was met with loud boos and jeers contrary to the cheers and applause he gets at his rallies of MAGA (Make America Great Again) supporters. However, there was a small section of the crowd, wearing MAGA hats and t-shirts, which cheered for him.

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee was criticised by Libertarians for rushing through the creation of a COVID-19 vaccine when he was president, not doing enough to stop public health restrictions on those unvaccinated during the pandemic, running up towering federal deficits and lying about his political record.

The former president, who has a total of 88 felony charges he faces in four federal and state prosecutions, tried to joke “If I wasn’t a Libertarian before, I sure as hell am a Libertarian now.”

He also took a shot at Biden saying that the US president’s administration and his fellow Democrats are a part of a “rise in left-wing fascism”.

Trump also praised the “fierce champions of freedom in this room” and called Biden a “tyrant” and the “worst president in the history of the United States”. The move immediately backfired on the former president as many in the audience yelled: “That’s you.”

Trump’s appeals, offersrejected by Libertarians

Libertarians have more in common with Republican policy positions than Democrats on issues including taxes and the size of government and Trump had sought their support ahead of the elections saying, “We should not be fighting each other.”

When the former president called on the crowd to defeat the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee his appeal was met with boos. The Libertarians garnered only 1.2 per cent of the national vote in 2020, but this year the race is close.

Trump’s presence as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee at the convention is unusual, suggesting that his campaign sees independent candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr, who has long opposed vaccines and mandates, as a threat in the upcoming election.

Kennedy Jr had also addressed the convention on Friday and accused both the incumbent and former president of trampling on personal liberties in response to the pandemic. Biden, who was invited to speak at the convention, declined to attend.

During his speech, Trump pledged to put a Libertarian in his cabinet if he wins the election in November, which was met by cries of “bullshit!”

The former president also said how he was a “libertarian without even trying to be one,” and that the Libertarian Party should endorse him, which was once again met with more boos and jeers.

Libertarians will pick their White House nominee during their convention, which wraps on Sunday (May 26).

Case of Ross Ulbricht

Trump did receive applause on one promise he made, which was promising to commute Ross Ulbricht’s sentence if he wins back the White House.

The case of Ross Ulbricht is a rallying cry for the Libertarians some of whom were even carrying placards which read “Free Ross”.

Ulbricht is serving a life sentence for creating and operating the website Silk Road, which allowed users to secretly buy and sell drugs and other illegal products.

The group believes that his 2015 sentence represents government and judicial overreach.

(With inputs from agencies)