A year after the presidential election, some Libertarians who supported Donald Trump feel disappointed. One Libertarian from Pennsylvania, who backed Trump in 2024 after he sought their support at the party’s convention and promised spending cuts, non-intervention abroad, and even the Department of Government Efficiency led by Elon Musk, now believes the reality does not match the promises.
Trump aggressively sought the Libertarian votes. He attended their convention in Washington, D.C., where he received boos and jeers despite offering pledges, including protecting cryptocurrency and commuting Ross Ulbricht’s sentence.
For USA Today, the former Trump supporter wrote, “I am a Libertarian who voted for Donald Trump in 2024, the first time I ever voted for a Republican for president, because he made efforts to listen and address our concerns. He came to our national convention, promised to stay out of wars and slash government spending and useless programs with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. But none of it happened.”
On the latter point, Trump did follow through, which the regretful voter gave him credit. In January 2025, the White House announced a full pardon for Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road marketplace, something many Libertarians had pushed for. Trump called the original sentence “ridiculous” as he granted clemency.
However, the broader goal to reduce federal waste faced political challenges. Trump established the Department of Government Efficiency on his first day, presenting it as an effort to modernize and streamline the federal bureaucracy. Elon Musk played a significant role, sometimes from within the government and sometimes as an outside adviser, while advocating for significant cuts. Musk suggested deleting entire agencies, arguing that the bureaucracy would expand again if only trimmed around the edges.
Then there was the major spending and tax package that Republicans named the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which became the focus of Trump’s second-term agenda. The bill was extensive, combining permanent and temporary tax changes with large amounts of funding for defense and the border, including billions to boost deportations and expand detention facilities. Critics from both sides argued the bill increased deficits and undermined the savings promised by the Department of Government Efficiency, a concern even Musk acknowledged as he distanced himself from daily government activities.
The Libertarian who now feels “swindled” also highlights Trump’s conflicts with small-government Republicans who opposed his spending and foreign policy choices. The tension has been particularly evident with Kentucky’s Thomas Massie and Rand Paul. Trump has publicly criticized Massie, threatening his political career, labeling him a “lightweight,” and urging Republicans to oust him quickly. Paul, meanwhile, has responded carefully, saying he respects Trump but won’t “sit quietly” in disagreement.
This situation marks a sharp decline from the enthusiastic outreach in 2024. Trump entered the Libertarian National Convention promising common goals but left amid reports of boos and heckling. He sought to win over the crowd by promising a Libertarian in his cabinet and by supporting cryptocurrency, teasing leniency for Ulbricht, which generated one of the few moments of approval. Yet, the divide between Libertarian principles and Trump-era Republicanism on spending, surveillance, and civil liberties was clear.
