Trump Offered a ‘Hand of Friendship’ to Libertarians. They Slapped It Away — and Trump Slapped Back.

Trump tried to convince the Libertarian National Convention that voters should nominate him as their presidential candidate. When they loudly rejected that idea, Trump insulted them.

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Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Libertarian National Convention and gets a hostile reaction. Jose Luis Magana/AP

Donald Trump came to the Libertarian National Convention in D.C. on Saturday, seemingly to make peace with a key voting bloc that could prove decisive in November. What he got — and what he gave them — were fighting words.

Trump was repeatedly met with boos and jeers as he delivered his 45-minute speech, centered around economic messages popular with the crowd — like eliminating federal income tax, encouraging deregulation for digital currencies and ending foreign wars. But after being booed throughout the entire speech, Trump also, in true Trumpian fashion, saw it fit to ridicule Libertarians.

After suggesting that the national party nominate him for president and the crowd booing, Trump had a succinct shot.