Trump courts Libertarians amid mounting concern over third-party candidates
CNN
Donald Trump will address the Libertarian Party’s convention Saturday, a move illustrative of his campaign’s intensifying concern over third-party candidates.
Former President Donald Trump will address the Libertarian Party’s convention Saturday, an unconventional stop for a presumptive Republican nominee but also illustrative of his campaign’s intensifying concern over third-party candidates. Trump is expected to deliver a pitch to Libertarians focused on their shared grievances over President Joe Biden’s four years in Washington, an event organizer told CNN. His team has also closely watched the results of an informal poll that asked convention attendees which topics Trump should touch on during his remarks. The outreach to Libertarians follows weeks of stepped-up attacks by Trump aimed at Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose high-profile independent White House bid is increasingly viewed by the former president’s advisers as a potential problem in an election expected to be decided by a narrow margin in a handful of states. Kennedy addressed the convention Friday as the two directly compete for voters disenchanted by the two-party system. In a speech last weekend to the National Rifle Association, Trump described Kennedy’s political views as “radical left” and warned his supporters, “We can’t waste any more votes.” In a candid moment, Trump also shared the purpose behind his unusual visit to the Libertarian Party. “We have to join with (Libertarians) because they get their 3% every year, no matter who’s running,” Trump said, “and we have to get that 3% because we can’t take a chance on Joe Biden winning.” Eight years ago, Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson earned more than 3% of the popular vote – a high point in the party’s history. The number of votes Johnson, Green Party nominee Jill Stein and other third-party contenders earned was larger than Trump’s margin of victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton in a handful of closely contested battlegrounds.
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