Libertarians reject Donald Trump & nominate gay man who supports drag performances

On Sunday, the Libertarian Party chose to nominate Chase Oliver as their presidential nominee, a gay man who vocally supports drag performers, at the Libertarian National Convention this weekend in D.C. Voters rejected both Donald Trump’s and Robert F. Kennedy’s bids to get the Libertarians’ nod.

Oliver earned 60 percent of the vote from delegates, alongside his vice president pick, Mike ter Maat.

Related:

A gay third-party candidate in Georgia could help determine who controls the Senate

The race between incumbent Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock (D) and anti-LGBTQ Republican Herschel Walker also includes gay libertarian Chase Oliver, who could force a runoff election.

This victory is especially significant as this election is expected to hang in the balance of a small portion of the votes, with some voters turning away from both Trump and President Joe Biden. Previously, the Libertarian Party’s candidate had won 1% of the votes.

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“We did it! I am officially the presidential nominee. But the work is not done, please help me nominate my running mate Mike ter Maat. There is no better unifying ticket in this party than this one. It’s time to unify and move forward for liberty,” Oliver said on X.

We did it! I am officially the presidential nominee. But the work is not done, please help me nominate my running mate @terMaatMike . There is no better unifying ticket in this party than this one. It’s time to unify and move forward for liberty. pic.twitter.com/0vFMmvmXa1

— Chase Oliver (@ChaseForLiberty) May 27, 2024

In a video, Oliver referred to drag artists as performance artists, stating that he’d be fine with bringing his kids to 99% of the shows. He compared them to the children’s performing group, The Wiggles.

“A man in a dress or a woman in a suit. That is what drag is,” Oliver said. “That is not inherently sexual. There is inherently sexual drag…there absolutely is but there’s also the ability to perform as a man in a wig without being sexual.”

Oliver, originally an anti-war protester based in Atlanta, has previously run for seats in both the Senate and House from Georgia. He calls for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, abolition of the capital punishment, support for LGBTQ+ youth, an end to interventionist foreign policy, and balancing the federal budget.

He is aligned with the Classical Liberal caucus of the Libertarian Party, which is more traditional in its views.

Trump spoke at the Libertarian National Convention this past Saturday, but he didn’t get a warm welcome.

“The fact is we should not be fighting each other,” Trump told the crowd. “If Joe Biden gets back in, there will be no more liberty for anyone in our country. Combine with us in a partnership – we’re asking that of the libertarians. We must work together. Combine with us. You have to combine with us.”

Trump was harshly booed at the Libertarian Party convention. Insults were shouted at him, cries of “Bulls**t” and “F**k you” were thrown, and one person was carried away by security for holding a sign that said, “No wannabe dictators.” Trump even tried to convince the attendees that he would appoint a Libertarian in his Cabinet, however it did not change the overall mood of the crowd.

Afterward, Trump claimed he didn’t seek out the party’s nomination because he wasn’t allowed to, stating on social media, “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.”

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… pic.twitter.com/63GVymrv5H

— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) May 26, 2024

Kennedy only received 2% of the nomination vote, and while he was received to a much friendlier audience, he failed within the first round of voting. Worries spread throughout the convention that Kennedy will siphon protest votes away from Libertarians, hampering their progress.

Oliver has previously referred to himself as “armed and gay” in the Georgia Senate elections in reference to his opposition to gun control.

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