The Libertarian Party made waves at its convention on Sunday night by nominating political activist Chase Oliver as its nominee for president, rejecting former President Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s bids for the party’s nomination.
Oliver secured the nomination after a tense voting process, finally clinching victory in the seventh round with nearly 60% of the vote. His final opponent was the “none of the above” option, after professor-turned-podcaster Michael Rectenwald was eliminated in the sixth round and endorsed Oliver as his vice presidential choice.
In his victory speech, Oliver promised to bring a message of liberty to all Americans, whether they consider themselves libertarian or not. He outlined his platform, which includes major cuts to the federal budget, ending the death penalty, closing overseas military bases, and pardoning whistleblowers like Julian Assange and Edward Snowden.
Former President Trump, who delivered a speech at the convention on Saturday, was met with boos from some members in attendance. Despite his appearance, Trump did not qualify for the Libertarian nomination and received very few write-in votes.
Kennedy, an independent candidate, also spoke at the convention and received a warm reception. However, he ultimately received just 19 votes in the first round of voting.
Oliver’s victory was seen as a blow to the Mises Caucus, a right-leaning faction that had supported Rectenwald and orchestrated Trump’s appearance at the convention two years ago.
Overall, the nomination of Chase Oliver as the Libertarian Party’s presidential nominee sets the stage for an interesting and potentially impactful election season.
