Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to Address 2024 Libertarian Party of California Annual Convention

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will speak to Libertarians attending the 2024 Libertarian Party of California Annual Convention scheduled for this coming February. Kennedy’s speaking slot will take place later in the afternoon as part of the lunch bloc, following a panel featuring two candidates seeking the Libertarian Party presidential nomination that Kennedy is also expected to attend.

“Yes, it’s true. We’re excited to announce that @RobertKennedyJr is joining us as a special guest for the 2024 LPCA Annual Convention! Convention dates are February 23-25,” the Libertarian Party of California posted on X Sunday afternoon.

Yes, it’s true. We’re excited to announce that @RobertKennedyJr is joining us as a special guest for the 2024 LPCA Annual Convention! Convention dates are February 23-25. Buy your tix at the link below today!https://t.co/i0fAli1yux pic.twitter.com/VqL0WH8OC6

— Libertarian Party of California (@LPofCal) January 7, 2024

According to the complete schedule of events available on the official website of the Libertarian Party of California, Kennedy is slated to address attendees on February 24, 2024, during the convention’s luncheon session between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM PST. Kennedy’s speech will be followed by that of keynote speaker and prior service Marine Dan McKnight of the Libertarian Institute.

While the specific topics of Kennedy’s speech currently remain unknown, comments by LPCA Chair Adrian Malagon on X suggest that the choice to invite Kennedy revolves around encouraging dialogue between him and the Libertarian Party presidential candidates who are attending the convention.

Two Libertarian Party presidential hopefuls, Dr. Michael Rectenwald and Mike ter Maat, are scheduled to address convention attendees before Kennedy’s speaking slot as part of a panel. Additionally, former Libertarian National Committee Vice Chair Joshua Smith, who is also vying for the Libertarian Party presidential nomination, shared on social media that he declined an invitation to participate as part of the panel due to the $5,000 attendance cost but would still make himself available to convention delegates.

Just to clear it up, I was invited to the LP of California presidential panel, but I wasn’t going to pay 5k to be on the panel at the convention. I think it’s odd to make a campaign pay to come to your convention and entertain your members after they have already spent tons of…

— Joshua Smith from Break The Cycle (@JoshuaAtLarge) January 8, 2024

Additional correspondence from the Libertarian Party of California advertising Kennedy’s speech at the 2024 Annual Convention reads that Kennedy will also be participating in the presidential candidate panel alongside Rectenwald and ter Maat. According to the correspondence, Kennedy’s participation will offer presidential candidates in attendance a chance to see how they compare against a candidate outside of the Libertarian Party’s “inner circle.”

News of the decision to invite Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the Libertarian Party of California’s 2024 Annual Convention has invited both commendations and criticism from Libertarians on social media.

“Having the ability to challenge someone who claims a liberty mantle in a direct format in the way
@RecTheRegime and @terMaatMike will be able to do is astronomically valuable,” stated the official X account of the Libertarian Party of San Bernardino County in response to people immediately critical of Kennedy’s participation.

“Why are you inviting an Israel first non libertarian when literally every LP candidate is vastly superior?” asked the Arizona Mises Caucus. In response, Malagon clarified that inviting presidential candidates from outside the Libertarian Party to speak with Libertarian Party presidential candidates is not a “support of the former but rather, an opportunity.”

“We said what we said,” the Arizona Mises Caucus account reasserted.

Scott Horton, Director of the Libertarian Institute, expressed his displeasure with Kennedy as a participant, responding to the news with a simple “boo,” before posting on X that Kennedy “puts Israel first.”

Meanwhile, the Classical Liberal Caucus pressed Malagon via email for more specific answers, asking who in the California affiliate ultimately approved the list of panel participants and bringing up anecdotal claims from Libertarians shared on social media that specific campaigns were “kept out” of the panel and that the cost of participating on the panel varied from $3,000 to $5,000.

An email screenshot of Malagon’s response to questions from Classical Liberal Caucus Chair Jonathan Casey reads, “I don’t care enough to read all of that. I’m happy for you though. Or sorry that happened.”

Pictures of the email exchange between CLC Chair Jonathan Casey and LPCA Chair Adrian Malagon were shared publicly on X by Casey and can be seen in the conversation thread below:

The Mises-elected LPCA Chair Adrian Malagon is:

– Using party resources to platform a POTUS candidate that is running against LP candidates
– Using his authority to keep some LP candidates from participating
– Giving special treatment to some LP POTUS candidates other others

1/ pic.twitter.com/cn0BJ5idj6

— Jonathan Casey (@JonathanTCasey) January 8, 2024

The Libertarian Party of California’s 2023 Annual Convention will take place in Sacramento, California, from February 23 to February 25, 2024. Participants need to purchase a ticket to participate beyond party business and attend Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s luncheon bloc. Readers of Independent Political Report can find further information on the convention here.