The Libertarian Party in the United States made a unique selection for their presidential nominee following speeches given by Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the party’s convention over Memorial Day Weekend.
On May 26, Chase Oliver was nominated as the Libertarian Party’s candidate for U.S. president, giving a face to the country’s third-largest political party leading up to the November 2024 elections. At 38 years old, Oliver enters the presidential race with the majority of U.S. citizens expected to vote for either President Joe Biden or Donald Trump, the presumptive nominees for their respective Democratic and Republican parties.
Oliver’s nomination came after Trump spoke at the Libertarian Party convention on May 25. Reports indicate that many attendees booed the former president and shouted that he was a “liar” and “panderer” for pretending to embody the party’s values. RFK Jr. also addressed the convention on May 24 but was eliminated from consideration after receiving only 2% of the vote.
The Libertarian Party has garnered support from many members who are interested in cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC). The party’s platform emphasizes the freedom for individuals engaged in voluntary exchange to use any mutually agreeable commodity or item as money.
Although Oliver has expressed his views on the economy and individual choice publicly, his stance on digital assets could not be found at the time of publication. However, he does support the release of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who is currently serving two life sentences for his involvement in the online marketplace.
Some Republicans feel that Trump’s promises to protect crypto and commute Ulbricht’s sentence should have been sufficient for Libertarians, but they chose to nominate Oliver instead, a decision that is unlikely to yield more than 3% of the vote.
Oliver has also called for the nomination of Mike ter Maat as his running mate. Ter Maat, a 63-year-old from Portland, opposes the Federal Reserve issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC) and supports unregulated cryptocurrency. He also believes that former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried should face prison time for defrauding customers.
Despite being the third-largest political party in the United States, the Libertarian Party only received approximately 3% of the popular vote in the 2016 presidential election and is not expected to win in 2024. However, due to the Electoral College system in many U.S. states, a third-party candidate could influence the election by drawing votes away from Biden or Trump.
With less than six months until the November 5th U.S. Election Day, Trump has been increasingly vocal about crypto. In May, he announced that he would accept campaign donations in digital assets and expressed positivity and open-mindedness towards the technology. President Biden will likely have three crypto-focused bills to consider before November, which could sway some voters.
In conclusion, the Libertarian Party has chosen Chase Oliver as their nominee for U.S. president, presenting a distinct alternative in the upcoming election.