Presidential Candidate Chase Oliver Reacts To Trump & RFK Jr. Speaking At Libertarian Convention

Forbes Breaking News

Libertarian Party presidential candidate Chase Oliver joined Cat Oriel on "Forbes Newsroom" to discuss the upcoming Libertarian Party Convention and the 2024 election.   Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:  https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript   Stay Connected Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes More From Forbes:  http://forbes.com

Transcript

00:00 [MUSIC]

00:03 >> Hello, everyone.

00:03 My name is Kat Oriel with Forbes Breaking News.

00:06 And today I'm here with Chase Oliver,

00:08 a Libertarian presidential candidate.

00:10 Chase, thanks so much for joining me today.

00:11 >> Thank you for having me.

00:13 >> Of course, so

00:14 the Libertarian National Convention is this weekend.

00:16 I want to get your reaction to former President Donald Trump

00:19 speaking at the convention.

00:20 What do you think motivated this move?

00:22 >> Well, obviously he thinks he can steal our voters away.

00:25 He thinks he can somehow attract the Libertarian vote.

00:28 But I think it's gonna be really important for

00:30 us to distinguish how we are very different from Donald Trump.

00:33 And hold him to account for

00:34 the things that we believe he should be held accountable for

00:36 during his time as president.

00:38 So while I wouldn't have invited him to a Libertarian stage,

00:42 cuz he's not necessarily a Libertarian speaker.

00:45 If he's going to be here,

00:46 we're going to make sure that Libertarians are loud and

00:48 clear in our response.

00:50 >> What are some of those differences and

00:51 reasons why you don't think he should be speaking at the event?

00:55 >> Well, for one, we support fiscal sanity in our country.

00:58 We don't want to have trillions of dollars being printed every

01:01 year out of thin air that creates the inflation that we're

01:03 all feeling right now with the cost of living increases.

01:06 And Donald Trump in one year expanded the debt and

01:09 deficit more than any other president ever has.

01:11 And in four years, he exploded the debt and deficit.

01:13 He's also continued the warfare around the world with drone

01:16 warfare, using the Patriot Act and

01:19 other unconstitutional measures to invade our privacy.

01:23 He has not really been a bulwark against the invasion of privacy

01:28 that we've seen.

01:29 And so there's so many areas where we can discriminate his

01:30 integration policy, and I could go on and on.

01:32 We only have a few minutes, but that's just a few areas where we

01:35 have very great differences with the Trump administration and

01:39 Donald Trump himself, in addition to the character traits.

01:41 >> Well, RFK Jr., also not a Libertarian,

01:46 will be speaking at the convention.

01:48 Do you feel similarly to Trump,

01:51 at where you don't really agree with him being selected to speak

01:55 at the convention?

01:56 >> Well, I think with Trump, you actually have four years of

02:00 a record to actually speak out against.

02:03 I don't think RFK should be invited either.

02:04 I think the Libertarian Convention should be to push for

02:07 our Libertarian candidates.

02:08 And that's not just the presidential and VP candidates,

02:11 but we have candidates running all over the country that could

02:13 use the exposure and press that comes from a convention.

02:16 That we're just not gonna be able to have because there'll be

02:18 other people who are taking that stage time.

02:20 So RFK is one such person.

02:22 Nothing against RFK Jr., I imagine he's learning right now

02:26 how hard it is to run with the ballot access laws in this

02:28 country, but he's not a Libertarian and I don't think

02:32 he's gonna get much support from our party based on some of his

02:35 positions, which involve greater governmental authority in areas

02:39 like housing and the environment that we just oppose.

02:42 >> Well, RFK Jr.

02:44 did call on Trump to debate him at the convention,

02:47 doesn't seem very likely to happen.

02:48 But since they're gonna be there, would you like to see

02:51 an opportunity for them to get up on stage to debate one

02:53 another, maybe also yourself or another candidate?

02:56 >> Well, I think if any debate's going to occur at the

02:58 Libertarian Convention, it should include the Libertarian

03:00 candidate for president.

03:01 So no, I would not support an RFK versus Trump debate,

03:05 but I certainly would welcome if there's a debate stage where

03:07 we can have RFK, Donald Trump, the Libertarian candidate who

03:10 I would want to be myself, and potentially Joe Biden.

03:14 I think that's a debate stage that the American people

03:16 deserve to see next month on CNN in Atlanta.

03:18 And if I'm the Libertarian candidate, I'm going to be

03:20 pushed to be included in that debate because we're going to

03:22 be on enough ballots to get 270 electoral votes theoretically.

03:25 And that should be the threshold.

03:26 >> Well, I mean, you've already said that you don't really

03:30 support Trump, RFK being at the convention.

03:33 I know President Biden was also invited to speak.

03:35 So I'm assuming that you also wouldn't have liked to see him

03:37 take the stage or would you have-

03:39 >> Yeah, I don't have warm feelings for any of them.

03:43 >> Yeah, but so I'm just curious, why are these

03:47 candidates being invited if they're not Libertarians?

03:50 >> Well, you'd have to speak to the internal party leadership

03:53 at the moment to determine their mindset around that or

03:56 their motivation for doing that.

03:58 I have to believe that they believe it will be publicity

04:01 to our convention and that's why they're doing this.

04:04 But to many people, it just seems like we're opening

04:06 the door and that I don't see Donald Trump inviting

04:09 the Libertarian candidate to one of his rallies.

04:11 And I don't see RFK doing that, right?

04:13 And so we're bringing them on our largest stage.

04:15 And a lot of Libertarians just feel upset that we're never

04:18 going to get anything like that in return from them.

04:21 >> And so that being said, with this election cycle coming up,

04:24 we're facing most likely a Trump-Biden rematch.

04:26 How are Libertarians feeling about the rematch in general?

04:29 And what does this rematch mean for the Libertarian Party?

04:32 How can it be sort of a good opportunity and

04:35 stepping stone for the party?

04:36 >> Absolutely, I think first off, we're not really thrilled

04:41 about this being the rematch, just like most Americans.

04:43 A majority of Americans say they'd be willing to look at

04:45 options outside of those two.

04:47 Libertarians, of course, are no different.

04:49 We've been looking outside those options for a long time.

04:52 But I do think it presents a real golden opportunity for

04:54 our party to reach out to voters who are dissatisfied,

04:57 particularly Gen Z and millennial voters who just are not seeing

05:00 what they want from either Biden nor Trump, nor even RFK in many cases, right?

05:05 There's an open field to get these young people into the tent and

05:09 to help grow our party foundationally.

05:11 Most people become Libertarians or Democrats or

05:14 Republicans between the ages of 18 and 29.

05:17 And so that's the demographic we want to reach out to.

05:19 And Gen Zers are going to be 40 million voters potentially in this election.

05:23 They're voting in higher frequency than my generation did at the same age range or

05:27 Gen Xers or Boomers.

05:28 And so it's really a great time for us as a party to reach out to this younger

05:32 generation of voters, bring them in and build a new foundation for

05:35 the Libertarian Party that can thrive for the next generation.

05:38 >> How have you been able to reach out to Gen Z?

05:41 What's the messaging look like?

05:43 >> Well, our messaging is first off, we're listening to you.

05:45 We're understanding the concerns that you have.

05:47 And right now, the biggest thing that we're seeing in campuses across the country is

05:50 an anti-war movement of people who are tired of seeing the military,

05:54 our militarism being exported around the world,

05:56 particularly in this case, it's with Israel and Gaza.

05:59 But I look forward to speaking to them is if there's a debate stage with Trump,

06:03 Biden, RFK and me, I will be the only candidate that is wholeheartedly calling

06:07 for a ceasefire today and an end to this and then change the policy.

06:11 And so that's something that can attract a whole bunch of young people right now

06:14 who are activated.

06:15 But in addition to other things like fixing the student loan crisis to help lower

06:19 education costs in the future, addressing the immigration crisis,

06:23 which so many young people feel is a human rights violation at our southern border.

06:28 And using libertarian philosophy to address things like the environment and

06:32 bodily autonomy and a woman's right to choose.

06:35 These are the issues that matter to Gen Z voters.

06:37 And so those are the issues that we need to reach out to them with the libertarian

06:40 solutions.

06:41 Are you having a lot of success reaching them on social media?

06:44 I know TikTok, there's some controversy of, you know,

06:47 the Democrats using that platform for their campaigns.

06:51 Is that something the libertarian party is embracing meeting Gen Z where they're

06:54 at, which is TikTok, Instagram, online?

06:56 Yeah, we're already on TikTok and Instagram,

06:59 as well as the other traditional social media platforms.

07:01 We're looking to stay engaged there and really break through with the TikTok and

07:05 Instagram generation.

07:06 That is where most young people go for their social media.

07:09 And more and more young people go to social media for their news.

07:12 And so if we're going to break through anywhere,

07:14 it may be not through traditional mainstream media channels in the selection with

07:17 young people. It's going to be TikTok and those other platforms.

07:20 I'm sure Forbes is active as well, trying to reach out to young viewers.

07:25 Well, that's where you have to market yourself.

07:26 And that's where our campaigns already involved.

07:29 So beyond traditional victory,

07:32 what does victory then look like for libertarians in the fall?

07:35 I mean, of course, you know,

07:37 a true victory would be getting a seat in the White House or elsewhere.

07:41 But do you think that victory,

07:43 if you could just persuade the young voters or other voters to just consider

07:48 looking into the libertarian party, what does true victory look like?

07:53 Yeah. So my campaign, we call metrics of victory, right?

07:56 An outright victory would be the greatest one, as you said.

07:59 But barring that, it's like,

08:00 how many new members can we grow in the party to help bolster?

08:02 So we have more activists on the ground,

08:04 more people knocking on doors and making phone calls.

08:06 Like what can we do to grow membership?

08:08 Winning ballot access in states, right?

08:10 If we hit certain thresholds,

08:12 we make it easier for people to run as candidates in those states.

08:14 So we can actually build our bench up with those local races that are very

08:17 important and supporting the local races that are already happening.

08:20 There are winnable, electable libertarian races all over the country that we are

08:23 identifying and as a campaign we're going to be supporting.

08:27 And then lastly, how many states can we win major party status?

08:31 We as a party, the Libertarian Party of Iowa,

08:33 they earned major party status in 2022.

08:35 That's what allowed us to have the Libertarian Party Iowa caucuses for the first time.

08:39 And also, I'm the first candidate for president who's not a Republican or

08:42 Democrat to ever speak at the Iowa Soapbox event.

08:45 Those things are made possible when we earn major party status.

08:48 And so how many states can we earn that?

08:50 Can we earn ballot access?

08:51 And what can we do to support growing membership and

08:54 our libertarians who are running on the down ballot?

08:57 Those are the metrics that I'm going to look to in November and say,

09:00 I either did a good job or needed to do better.

09:02 >> How's your campaign going so far and how much money have you raised?

09:06 >> We're doing great.

09:08 We've outraised every other candidate in the libertarian primary in terms of donor

09:12 support and stewardship.

09:14 We have donors in all 50 states plus DC.

09:16 We're nearing the $100,000 mark, which sounds small in terms of national politics,

09:21 but for a libertarian primary campaign is a big deal.

09:23 We've outraised the 2020 field already in terms of the same time period.

09:27 And we're looking to raise millions of dollars through the general election cycle

09:31 to really have an outsized impact and punch above our weight with resources.

09:35 We're a real scrappy bunch, us libertarians.

09:39 I ran for US Senate in 2022, I forced a runoff.

09:42 My opponents spent a quarter of a billion dollars, I spent 20,000.

09:45 And so let's see what we can do with five or $10 million.

09:48 >> And so this weekend, the convention's coming up.

09:51 What are your plans for the convention and what else should we keep an eye on?

09:55 >> Well, first and foremost, I'm going to be doing the business of the party as

09:59 a delegate from the state of Georgia.

10:00 So I will be voting on the business meeting and things like this.

10:02 And of course, I'll be on the floor meeting those delegates,

10:05 shaking the hands, trying to earn those votes.

10:07 But my campaign will have its own breakout room complete with a whole photo area and

10:12 exclusive campaign swag.

10:14 And of course, we'll be also tabling in the convention hall.

10:17 And we're going to be hosting a cocktail party tomorrow night with a group called

10:20 the Radical Caucus, those radical, hardcore libertarians.

10:23 We want to make sure we're reaching out to them.

10:25 So we're gonna have a nice little fun mixer with them.

10:27 So yeah, it's gonna be a very, very busy weekend, but I'm super excited for it.

10:31 And I hope libertarians across the country are excited for us to get a ticket,

10:35 to have a candidate, and be able to run against Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and

10:38 RFK as forcefully as we can through November.

10:42 >> Yeah, and I probably should have started with this, but I'll end with it.

10:46 For people who just aren't really super familiar with the Libertarian Party,

10:50 I know we have an extensive interview with you about your background,

10:53 your campaign on our channel already.

10:55 But in case they're just tuning into this interview, can you just give me

10:59 a snippet of what the Libertarian Party is all about, your candidacy, and

11:03 why the two-party system isn't working, and

11:07 we should be steering away from the traditional candidates like Trump and Biden?

11:11 >> Yeah, broadly speaking, libertarians support your right to live your life in

11:14 peace as you see fit, not as the government sees fit or as other people see fit.

11:19 We ultimately believe if you're not committing force, fraud, coercion, theft,

11:22 or violence, you're not violating someone else's liberty, that your life is your

11:26 life, your body is your body, your business is your business, and

11:29 your property is your property.

11:30 It's not mine, and it's not the government's.

11:33 It's a message of self-ownership, to going back to the most local government,

11:36 which is ourselves and our ability to self-govern in most cases.

11:40 And that's really what we're about.

11:42 We're about reducing the size, scope, and abuse of the state,

11:45 whether it be the federal government, the state government, or

11:46 the local government in your life.

11:48 We want the government's only, if the government is to exist,

11:51 its only function is to secure your liberty and

11:54 to protect your civil rights, not to invade them.

11:57 And so with that speaking, we want to lower the size of government.

11:59 We want to end wars at home and abroad and really facilitate peace,

12:04 prosperity, free markets, and free minds around the world.

12:07 And you can find our full platform at lp.org, or you can go to

12:10 votechaseoliver.com and see my full platform and how that relates this message

12:14 of individual liberty and the ability for us to determine our own course in life.

12:19 - Well, thank you so much for joining me today.

12:21 Is there anything else that I didn't ask about yet that you want to add on

12:25 before we sign off?

12:27 - Well, I think it was a great interview, but if folks want to follow me on social

12:31 media, they can go to @chaseforliberty on all the platforms.

12:34 We mentioned TikTok and Instagram, but also Facebook, X, and we'll be launching

12:38 on other...on YouTube.

12:39 We'll be launching on other platforms soon.

12:41 So those of you who are watching, stay tuned, check out the campaign,

12:44 get involved.

12:45 We'd love to have you help us fight the two-party system.

12:48 Thank you so much for your time today, Chase.

12:49 - Thank you.

12:50 Peace, love, and liberty.

12:51 - Thanks.

12:52 ♪ [music] ♪

12:55 ♪ [music] ♪

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