Justin Amash Is Likely Weighing Presidential Run As Libertarian Party Nominee, Says ‘Daily Beast’ Report
Ever since libertarian-leaning congressman Justin Amash began to openly push back against Donald Trump and the Grand Old Party (GOP), which eventually led to his departure from the Republican Party, rumors have been circulating that he’s planning on running for president as a third-party candidate for the Libertarian Party. Amash has refused to rule out the possibility but suggested in interviews that the move isn’t on his radar at the moment.
Despite the mystery surrounding Amash, The Daily Beast reports that the 39-year-old is likely weighing a presidential run — at least according to those close to him, who spoke to the publication but chose to remain anonymous.
One source said that Amash is almost certainly waiting to see if his former House colleague Mark Sanford is going to run against Trump as a Republican. Although Sanford previously said he would be supportive of Amash and that there would be room for both of them even if he decided to run as a GOP candidate, Amash is reportedly still hesitant.
Another source close to Amash claims that he’s most likely waiting to see what his chances are of securing the Libertarian nomination.
“If I were to guess where he is right now, I’d say that he’s trying to make sure that he would walk into the Libertarian nomination without having to fight for it,” they said. “His worst case scenario is, he bows out of a congressional fight only to lose the Libertarian nomination.”
“Nobody knows what Amash is doing,” said one GOP strategist https://t.co/kFS9cqS2uI
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) August 31, 2019
The Daily Beast reports that numerous officials in the Libertarian Party have reached out to Amash’s camp to tell him that he would have strong support among the people that determine the party’s nomination. In addition, Nicholas Sarwark, the chair of the national Libertarian Party’s executive committee, claims that he personally told Amash he’s confident that he would be able to secure a nomination.
“I made sure he knows what kind of support he’ll get,” Sarwark said in an interview with The Daily Beast. “I have a good sense of the delegates around the country, where their heads are at, and they’re positive about him getting in. He would have at least that level of support and help in seeking the nomination.”
Per The Inquisitr, Amash recently attacked both Republicans and Democrats for failing to protect the Constitution, adding that the public doesn’t have to settle for either party. He also revealed in an interview from about a year ago with author Tim Alberta that he believes the GOP is lying to protect Trump, highlighting that his break from the Republican Party was a long time in the making.
