The Libertarian Party chose its nominee for president following its convention — which drew significant attention as former President Donald Trump appeared as a speaker — nominating a gay man who has a history of leftist positions and supports an open border and Drag Queen Story Hour for children.
While both Trump and independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke at the Libertarian convention, the party ultimately nominated their own party activist Chase Oliver as their candidate for president.
“We did it! I am officially the presidential nominee. But the work is not done, please help me nominate my running mate @terMaatMike,” Oliver, who thew a wrench in the Georgia Senate election in 2020, said.
“There is no better unifying ticket in this party than this one. It’s time to unify and move forward for liberty,” he added:
But some are already highlighting Oliver’s extreme positions, pointing to social media posts and videos that are concerning to many:
In one post in February 2023, Oliver took issue with Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves signing a bill into law banning health care “treatments” for transgender children.
”This is the government getting between parents and doctors providing medical care. The young people of Mississippi just had their choices limited by a legislature, not a physician or mental health professional,” he said:
In another post circulating on social media, Oliver seemingly defends drag queens reading to children for “Drag Queen Story Hour,” contending that many are simply performance artists who “want to be able to have different levels of performance,” comparing them to the Wiggles. He later said he would hypothetically drop his own children off at a story hour led by drag queens:
In another video, Oliver made the case for open borders:
There are also posts showing him supporting masking:
In one 2023 interview, Oliver concluded that the U.S. is “over-criminalized,” lamenting the war on drugs. In that same interview, Oliver said the 2024 election serves as “a unique opportunity for our party to break out into the mainstream.”
“We have stood for self-expression and self-ownership and autonomy since our founding in 1971 — just two years after Stonewall,” Oliver said.
“It took Democrats decades to catch up because they had to wait until it was politically popular. … If there’s one thing I know about LGBTQ people it’s that we like to go our own way and not be told who to be or how to live,” he continued.
Oliver also appears to be against protecting the integrity of women’s sports:
Others also questioned the Libertarian Party’s decision:
The choice follows Trump’s appearance at the convention, where he sparred with the crowd, telling them only to support him “if they want to win.”
Otherwise, “Keep getting your three percent every four years,” he added:
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