Justin Amash Pushes Back Against ‘Un-American’ Criticism Of His Libertarian Presidential Bid
Michigan Rep. Justin Amash recently announced his bid for the Libertarian nomination for president, which has caused bipartisan pushback, with each side fearing it will harm their cause. In an appearance on MSNBC, he pushed back against accusations that he could help re-elect Donald Trump, Axios reported.
According to Amash, denying additional candidates a shot at running on the 2020 ballot is “un-American” and tantamount to “voter suppression.”
The 40-year-old congressman also highlighted the bipartisan nature of the pushback, noting that the criticism “cuts both ways.”
“We don’t know who people will vote for. It’s impossible to say whether people will vote for [Joe] Biden or Trump if I’m in the race or not in the race, so I think there’s a bit of a factual issue there. But more important, we want to give the American people more choices. This is about democracy.”
Amash notably voted against the $2 trillion coronavirus aid package and claimed it didn’t do enough to help average Americans. He is in favor of direct payments from the government, which he believes will eliminate bureaucracy and help drive spending to boost the economy.
For $2 trillion, we could double the figures below and give every family of four $7,000 per month for three months.
This would be far more helpful to the people than the Senate bill. It would aid everyone, prevent favoritism, and ensure the economy has the flexibility it needs. https://t.co/CymATWNrGQ
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) March 25, 2020
In an analysis for The Washington Post, Aaron Blake claims that Amash’s entry into the presidential race could have a significant effect on its outcome, but he says, as of now, it’s unclear what this impact will be. Nevertheless, Blake says that the representative’s presence is notable not just as a sitting congressman and former Republican who stood up to Trump, but as someone from Michigan, which he calls “one of the most important states in the 2020 election.”
As Blake notes, Michigan favored Trump by just 0.2 percentage points in 2016, which was the thinnest margin of any state. He says even a “modestly strong showing” by a Libertarian nominee could swing the state and possibly the outcome of the 2020 election.
While Blake acknowledges that a former Republican with Amash’s libertarian outlook could attract disillusioned Trump voters not willing to vote Democratic, he could draw independent voters that would otherwise have voted for Joe Biden. Regardless, the Washington Post journalist opined that it’s still too early to make definitive predictions, and there is insufficient data that includes Amash in its equation.
“It’s all a big what-if at this point, but what’s abundantly clear is that it’s something worth keeping an eye on,” he wrote.
Amash has faced a great deal of criticism from Trump and his Republican allies. However, his willingness to buck his party — particularly after he defied the president — has earned him bipartisan praise.
