Former President Donald Trump will address “Libertarian Party concerns” later this month at the group’s national convention in Washington, DC, the party announced Wednesday.
“Libertarians are some of the most independent and thoughtful thinkers in our Country, and I am honored to join them,” Trump, 77, said in a statement.
The Libertarian Party’s unprecedented decision to give the presumptive Republican nominee for president a platform at the third-party group’s 2024 nominating convention will allow Trump to court voters beyond his GOP base.
“We all have to remember that our goal is to defeat the Worst President in the History of the United States, BY FAR, Crooked Joe Biden,” Trump said.
“If Libertarians join me and the Republican Party, where we have many Libertarian views, the election won’t even be close,” he added.
“We cannot have another four years of death, destruction, and incompetence. WE WILL WORK TOGETHER AND WIN!”
In 2020, Trump blamed Libertarian Party candidates for siphoning votes away from his past presidential campaigns, and he accused libertarian voters of “wasting their vote.”
The party had ballot access in all 50 states in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, with its nominees receiving 3.3% and 1.2% of the vote in each campaign, respectively.
Angela McCardle, the chair of the Libertarian National Committee, argued that having Trump appear at the convention serves the Libertarian Party’s needs as well.
“For 50 years, we’ve been trying to get our candidates on the main stage with major party POTUS candidates and we’ve finally succeeded in bringing one to our stage,” she said in a statement.
“We will do everything in our power to use this incredible opportunity to advance the message of liberty.”
The group plans to provide Trump with a list of the party’s top 10 issues ahead of the May 25 event, in hopes that it will influence his policy positions.
The party has invited President Biden, 81, to appear at the event as well.
Trump’s slated appearance at the convention has divided the party, with the two leading candidates vying to head the 2024 Libertarian presidential ticket holding differing views on hosting the Republican.
“The Republican Party wasn’t smart enough to reject Trump. Libertarians absolutely should reject him and his grift,” Chase Oliver, who has won five Libertarian primary contests, wrote on X.
“If he isn’t willing to actually debate the Libertarian candidate, he shouldn’t be on a stage that was paid for by party members,” he added, arguing that party members should give Trump “the one finger salute” at the convention.
Michael Rectenwald, who has won two primary contests, called Trump’s upcoming appearance an “opportunity” to share the stage with a major party candidate and “educate Trump on the principles of the freedom philosophy.”
“[Trump derangement syndrome] is for the faint of heart,” he added.
The former president said he is looking forward to speaking at the convention, which will be “attended by many of my great friends.”
