RFK Jr.’s Bid for Libertarian Presidential Nomination Ends in Swift Elimination

In a surprising turn of events, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became a candidate for the Libertarian Party’s presidential nomination on Sunday, 26 May. The unexpected move briefly stirred the political landscape, potentially challenging the dominance of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden in the upcoming November election. However, Kennedy’s candidacy was short-lived, as he was quickly eliminated from contention just hours after his nomination.

Kennedy, who had been running as an independent candidate, was nominated by a delegate at the Libertarian Party’s national convention in Washington, D.C. In an interview, he said, “My approach is a free-market approach, which appeals to Libertarians. I'm against war, which I think is another important issue for Libertarians. I support constitutional rights. President Trump dismantled our constitutional rights during COVID-19. So I think Libertarians are probably more inclined to support me if they follow their philosophies.”

As per Daily Mail, there was considerable confusion over whether Kennedy would accept the nomination, given his prior commitment to remain an independent candidate. However, Libertarian Party Chair, Angela McArdle, after a brief off-microphone conversation with Kennedy, soon announced that he had agreed to accept the nomination.

Kennedy’s acceptance was broadcasted via a video call, where he said, "I accept this unexpected honor, I've always admired the Libertarian Party, I have a deep alignment with the core values, the antipathy towards war, a commitment to end the addiction to forever wars and the love of personal freedoms and liberties. The Constitution was written for hard times, there are no exceptions. I'm going to protect the United States Constitution, I'm going to end the foreign wars. I'm very grateful to the libertarian party for this great honor and I look forward to an alliance across the country, a fusion alliance of all of these independent parties who are now challenging the Republican-Democrat corrupt duopoly.”

As per Newsweek, Kennedy’s candidacy was swiftly curtailed. In the first round of voting. He accumulated support from only 19 delegates, amounting to just 2.07% of the vote. The low support led to his elimination from the race, marking a significant setback for his independent presidential campaign. Interestingly, Trump was also nominated from the floor, but he declined to pursue the nomination.

He wrote, “The reason I didn’t file paperwork for the Libertarian Nomination, which I would have gotten if I wanted it (as everyone could tell by the enthusiasm of the crowd last night), was the fact that, as the Republican nominee, I am not allowed to have the nomination of another party. Regardless, I believe I will get a majority of the Libertarian votes. Junior’ Kennedy is a Radical Left Democrat, who’s destroyed everything he’s touched, especially in New York and New England, and in particular, as it relates to the cost and practicality of energy. He’s not a Libertarian. Only a FOOL would vote for him!”