Ron Paul’s failure to be elected president in 2008 may have been one of the most disappointing political outcomes in the past few decades.
However, there is no doubt that Ron Paul sparked a massive revolution in the American political system, which is slowly beginning to creep its way into other parties. In particular, the Republican party has been undergoing a massive shift, attracting out of the box people like Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr., and deterring warmongers like Cheney.
Ever since Ron Paul lost, Donald Trump has been our closest shot at implementing libertarian ideals at the executive level. Moreover, Trump has grown much bolder now, as he has already brought in a lot of brilliant cabinet members who are a major threat to the political establishment.
Trump picked up a lot of libertarian support this election, but sadly not everyone is on board. He may continue to face hesitation from some libertarian members, as seen by their strong opposition to him during the last libertarian convention. However, Trump has an excellent shot at implementing many policies that libertarians have been passionate about for decades. Libertarians should be ecstatic about America having a chance to take on the deep state this term, even if it's nearly two decades too late.
Trump Produces Mixed Views Among Libertarians
Why are some libertarians still on the fence?
Trump may be poised to surprise many libertarian voters who are either indifferent to or opposed to his policies. In a recent interview, Kurt Wallace and Jack Hunter discussed the libertarian response to Trump’s victory and explained why Trump’s presidency could be one of the most exciting terms in American history.
Most of the libertarians who are still opposed to Trump were a part of the 2008-2012 Ron Paul revolution, which sadly did not result in Ron Paul becoming the president. However, Trump has arguably created the closest thing this country has ever seen in terms of a successfully elected candidate with libertarian policies. Despite this success, Trump has still met massive resistance from some libertarian voters and candidates, who may continue to be skeptical even after he delivers on his promises.
While many people may have been on the fence about him before he began constructing his cabinet, it is very clear now that Trump has assembled a strong team of patriots that will have the resilience to take on the deep state during the next four years. These new members have already indicated that they will begin implementing libertarian values from day one, even though the members are not officially members of the libertarian party. The collective rage from the DNC and select Republican members should be a very positive indicator of the disruption potential of these individuals.
Trump immediately announced he would appoint Elon Musk to lead DOGE. Elon spared no time in securing the council and vote of confidence from Ron Paul, one of the most qualified members of our government in this area.
Many people rightfully feel that Paul was robbed of his 2008 election, which is fair, but he can still bring a lot of his expertise by advising Elon and Vivek. Luckily, many people caught sight of this trend before the election and chose to believe that Donald Trump would deliver on his campaign promises.
During a recent video interview, Jack Hunter commented on the changes he believed occurred during the 2024 election cycle.
“ So on the right you have this broad ideological coalition that can include libertarians. I haven’t seen polling on it Kurt, but my gut tells me that more people who identify as libertarians, small L and some big L, probably voted for Trump in this election than Chase Oliver, who I think ran a fine campaign. I have nothing against him, but we’re just in a different world with this election, different context. There’s a lot to work with there. This is the first time I’ve been optimistic about who won the general presidential election in my lifetime.”
There are many reasons to be excited about a Trump victory, as he may deliver on many promises that the libertarian party has been passionate about for decades. For the first time, some hot libertarian topics, such as ending the Department of Education, have made it to the executive level.
Examining Hesitation Areas and Likely Outcomes
Trump’s presidency may be a mixed bag for many libertarians. He may deliver on many promises that the libertarian party is passionate about, while simultaneously still functioning more in line with standard republican candidates in other areas. Trump ran on a broad-based populist plan, which included some measures that many libertarians opposed, but overall he will do more for libertarians than any other president has in decades.
Many of the concerns that libertarians voiced are relevant, but it is very clear now that the incoming Trump administration will not mirror the US government in 2016-2024. One has to love and respect how Donald Trump was able to candidly speak with Joe Rogan about how some of the cabinet picks he ended up choosing in 2016 were horrible choices, and that he had learned a lot from the process.
During a libertarian convention in 2024, many libertarian politicians and party members booed Trump when he spoke. They even did the same thing to Mike Lee when he voiced his support for Donald Trump, which reflects that some voters still deeply oppose his policies and would prefer a pure libertarian candidate.
Many people were upset about some of Trump’s actions during Covid. In hindsight, Fauci was a terrible pick, and Trump was distracted as he was focusing on supporting the economy and dealing with political attacks and other key issues. Unlike Biden, he did not implement Draconian COVID measures and vaccine mandates, and he has even taken other serious steps such as issuing an apology and full back pay for military members who were kicked out for refusing a COVID vaccine. As some of these evil individuals continue to lurk about, with the gall to lie and resist Congress, we are still in the safest hands with an anti-establishment candidate like Trump, who has strongly voiced his confidence in political leaders like Rand Paul and RJK Junior.
Many people chanted about ending the Federal Reserve when Trump called on libertarian voters to not waste their votes this election. While Trump’s actions against the Federal Reserve may be tamer than libertarian aspirations, it is still crucial to note that Ron Paul will be advising DOGE as they cut government spending to reduce our debt. He may also be able to help our government take on the Federal Reserve. This is a serious issue that has been going on for decades, and Trump is the first elected president to seriously tackle this issue. The Federal Reserve chairman has also been openly defying Trump in recent months, which indicates they may also feel threatened by a Trump presidency.
Another area where Trump will likely shine is when he potentially pardons Ross Ulbricht, founder of the Silk Road. This would be a huge move towards justice, and potentially allow Trump to gain more confidence from some libertarian voters.
However, Jack Hunter noted that some libertarians may be split on this issue, even if Trump follows through. He noted that some would be very happy with Trump, while others would think he was trying to fool them. Jack astutely noted that libertarians should be focused purely on Trump’s outcomes during this term, and ignore their personal feelings about Trump.
“ Let’s talk about foreign policy and ending the war in Ukraine and a diplomatic peace in Gaza and Israel and what's going on there. Let’s talk about getting away from the government forcing platforms to censor. Let’s talk about wrecking corporatism and some of the stuff RFK Jr. talks about. Do I care if RFK Jr. is a pure libertarian? That would be cool, but he’s not. The closest in the administration so far is probably Vivek Ramaswamy, but that’s not what’s important to me. What’s important to me is what they do, the results we get.”
Trump has a decent shot at taking down the military-industrial complex, cutting government bureaucracy, reclaiming free speech, taking on the Federal Reserve, and implementing other key libertarian agendas. Trump may not achieve all of these goals, especially when facing resistance from his own party, but this is by far the best shot America has had at implementing libertarian values.
Opposing Trump Isn’t Logical
Are both Democrats and Republicans being pulled toward libertarian ideals?
The democratic party has been launching more severe attacks against Trump week after week, especially after he has begun to pick new cabinet members with some libertarian values. This should be edifying for Trump, yet somehow not all libertarians are fully on board.
It is also imperative to note that the libertarian party has been gaining a lot of influence in US politics, even though Ron Paul was not elected. Many Republican candidates have strong libertarian values, and there is obviously a massive difference between people like Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell, who are technically members of the same party.
Many people have seen the madness involved in both parties and are slowly shifting towards libertarian values. The DNC recently lost two of its strongest members, Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Junior. Are these candidates pure libertarians? Definitely not, but they now have the power to take on the military and pharmaceutical industrial complex. Libertarians should be celebrating.
Even other left-leaning people have begun to see how this new administration will tackle new issues that both parties have ignored. Are both Democrats and Republicans being pulled toward libertarian ideals?
Cenk Uygur recently tweeted about how he was happy about some aspects of the election, as Trump will be taking on the establishment. He has talked about how he would love to work with Musk to audit the Pentagon.
Bernie Sanders has even voiced his support for Elon Musk taking on the Pentagon. Libertarians and Republicans should welcome these individuals with open arms, regardless of whether they join one of their parties.
America would be a much better country if Ron Paul had won the election in 2008. However, we still have a very strong chance of taking on the deep state under a Trump presidency in 2025.
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