Dispatch from D.C. on Day 3
Angela McArdle has invited violence and Trump into the Libertarian Party in violation of the law and the rules. Libertarians are angry...
Dear Friends,
This dispatch will be brief.
For the first time in 24 years, I am not a delegate to the Libertarian Party convention, so instead of arguing over the illegal Credentials Committee report on Friday morning, I was at the NBC studio appearing with Katty Kay on Morning Joe to preview the weekend’s festivities.
Thanks to the Mises Caucus for giving me that opportunity to tell the entire American public what this weekend means for the 2024 election.
On the first day of the convention, the delegates overturned Caryn Ann Harlos’ disenfranchisement of the Michigan and Oklahoma delegates by a 60% margin and Angela McArdle nearly was removed from presiding over the convention. It looked like the tide had turned and the MAGA infection in the Libertarian Party was going to end, but there was not enough organization to overcome her blatant disregard for the rules, including refusing to recognize privileged motions and her filibustering from the dais.
Business adjourned on Friday in time for the first of the interlopers, RFK Jr., to speak in a separate room. Later in the day, Vivek Ramaswamy spoke with podcaster Clinton “Russell” Muhe, who was chosen in an online vote of non-libertarians. Vivek was roudly booed for suggesting a “Libertarian-Nationalist alliance,” because that’s absurd.
As my good friend and Massachusetts delegate, Dr. Peter Everett put it,
“Libertarianism is a universalist philosophy that believes in the equal dignity of all people. Everyone has the right to self determination. People who only value liberty for themselves, or their countrymen don’t actually believe in liberty.”
On Saturday morning, things got weird.
Over 150 delegates showed up on the morning of the Trump speech, shifting the balance of power in the room. More shenanigans occurred and Angela McArdle squeaked through with a second ballot win of 53% of the now Mises dominated floor. She also screwed up communications with C-SPAN, denying our own Presidential hopefuls television coverage of their debate for the nomination, since the cameras had already moved to the Trump speech room. Delegates were denied access to escalators and convention hall by security and Secret Service, changing the makeup of the floor to allow her to stay in her seat…for the moment.
MAGA supporters were brought in to fill the room for McArdle’s Trump rally, but the Libertarians who chose to attend with kazoos and rubber chickens and signs made it very clear to Donald Trump that he was unwelcome. Security violently assaulted former LNC representative and longtime California activist, Starchild, resulting in injuries and bringing even further shame to this Mises Caucus dominated LNC.
Trump looked visibly uncomfortable at the non-stop heckling and booing through his speech, something former Chairman Joe Bishop-Henchman noticed from the C-SPAN feed.
Mises Caucus candidate for President and recent Republican, Michael Rectenwald slurred his way through some remarks about Trump and then refused to participate in a press conference after Trump’s speech. Dave Smith, another podcaster, begged the crowd to be respectful of Donald Trump. It was pathetic.
Overnight, multiple people have thrown their hat in the ring for LNC to get rid of this MAGA infection and Sunday promises to be an exciting day. I’ll be there and hope everyone else who believes in an independent, non-MAGA Libertarian Party will join me.
Yours truly,
Nick