Former President Donald Trump addressed a not-so-enthusiastic crowd at the Libertarian National Convention at the Washington Hilton in Washington over the weekend when he was met with boos from the audience. The moment came after he asked to be nominated and for Libertarian votes, but there were audible boos heard throughout the speech according to people at the event.
Trump is trying to urge as many voting blocs as possible, outside of his base, to vote for him and not President Joe Biden or a third-party candidate.
Trump's appearance at the event was historic, marking the first time a major U.S. political party's presumptive nominee has addressed the convention.
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Libertarians believe in small government and in cutting or eliminating taxes at "every opportunity."
Angela McArdle, the chair of the Libertarian National Committee, defended the decision to have Trump speak — saying it was about bringing more attention to the Libertarian party. She said it's part of the party's attempt to get on the presidential debate stage. She said Trump was coming to speak to specific grievances the Libertarian party has.
"Whether they're grievances with his administration in particular or the government at large," she said Trump came "to speak to our list of top 10 concerns."
McArdle said, "For the first time in history one of the major party's presidential candidates wants to come speak to us at our national convention. And that's because people are starting to recognize — people who are smart — that we are the most powerful voting bloc in the country, and we have all of the political power right now."
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spokebefore a crowd at the convention on Friday night about COVID-19 pandemic-era lock downs and constitutional protections that he says were violated during that time when businesses were closed down and mask mandates were issued on the American public.
The candidates feel it is important to appear at the convention after a Gallup survey found that 45% of Americans identify as independent, politically. Significantly more than both Republican or Democrat.
