Libertarian Nominee Chase Oliver to RFK Jr: If You Were Worried About Being a Spoiler, Why'd You Run?

Chase Oliver
Photo by Gage Skidmore / Flickr. Creative commons license.
Published: 23 Aug, 2024
2 min read

Video Source: Forbes Breaking News / YouTube. Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr.

 

Libertarian Party presidential nominee Chase Oliver appeared on "Forbes Newsroom" Thursday in part to discuss independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr's potential withdrawal from the 2024 race.

"If you are a candidate running outside the two-party system and you're worried about being a so-called 'spoiler,' you probably shouldn't have been running in the first place," said Oliver.

Kennedy is scheduled to hold an event in Arizona where he reportedly will suspend his campaign, though neither he nor his team have confirmed or announced their plans amid speculation he will endorse Donald Trump. 

This speculation centers on a podcast interview with his running mate, Nicole Shanahan, during which she said their options were to form a new party and risk helping Kamala Harris or drop out and endorse Trump. 

Kennedy has withdrawn his name from the Arizona ballot.

"For me, as a Libertarian, I am part of a political party that has been formed, that is challenging the two-party system, and we're not going to walk away from that," said Oliver.

He added that he is excited to see the race through and help his party grow. He said he entered the race "to take votes from Trump, Harris and any other electorate" that finds his campaign to be worthwhile. 

IVP Donate

"Dropping out of the race is a signal that you were never really interested in running to begin with," said Oliver. 

Oliver also doesn't believe that Kennedy dropping out will necessarily hand Trump the election. He commented on polls being tight and said that right now it is difficult to predict November's results. 

"If Robert F Kennedy gets out of the race and you are tired of the Democrats and the Republicans, myself and Mike ter Maat, my running mate -- the Libertarian Party welcomes you with open arms."

 "We're going to be here to challenge the duopoly throughout this election cycle," he added.

Check out the full interview with Chase Oliver above, including his response to whether or not he'd accept a position in Trump's administration under a "unity government."

Related articles

Judge about to slower gavel.
Believe It or Not, There Is Still a 2024 Election That Hasn't Been Called
It may be hard to believe, but as of April 2025, there is still one election in the US from the last election cycle that has not been called: the 2024 North Carolina Supreme Court election between incumbent Democrat Justice Allison Riggs and Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin....
09 Apr, 2025
-
3 min read
businessman holding his hands to his face.
New Poll: Half of US Voters Say They Voted For 'Lesser of Two Evils' in 2024
Citizen Data polled US voters following the 2024 elections and found that nearly half (47%) said they cast their ballot, not for the candidate they supported the most, but for the candidate they determined was the 'lesser of two evils.'...
09 Dec, 2024
-
2 min read
Andrew Yang
Andrew Yang: Democrats Have Only Themselves to Blame
Former presidential candidate and Forward Party Founder Andrew Yang says that if Democratic leaders are looking for someone to blame for their 2024 loss, they need to take a hard look in the mirror....
11 Nov, 2024
-
2 min read

Latest articles

Crowd in Time Square.
NYC Exit Survey: 96% of Voters Understood Their Ranked Choice Ballots
An exit poll conducted by SurveyUSA on behalf of the nonprofit better elections group FairVote finds that ranked choice voting (RCV) continues to be supported by a vast majority of voters who find it simple, fair, and easy to use. The findings come in the wake of the city’s third use of RCV in its June 2025 primary elections....
01 Jul, 2025
-
6 min read
A man filling out his election ballot.
Oregon Activist Sues over Closed Primaries: 'I Shouldn't Have to Join a Party to Have a Voice'
A new lawsuit filed in Oregon challenges the constitutionality of the state’s closed primary system, which denies the state’s largest registered voting bloc – independent voters – access to taxpayer-funded primary elections. The suit alleges Oregon is denying the voters equal voting rights...
01 Jul, 2025
-
3 min read
Supreme Court building.
Supreme Court Sides with Federal Corrections Officers in Lawsuit Over Prison Incident
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 30 that federal prison officers and officials cannot be sued by an inmate who accused them of excessive force during a 2021 incident, delivering a victory for federal corrections personnel concerned about rising legal exposure for doing their jobs....
01 Jul, 2025
-
3 min read