Libertarian VP turns focus to tearing down Trump

by Jesse Byrnes - 10/04/16 6:52 PM ET

Libertarian vice presidential nominee Bill Weld said he plans to use the five weeks leading up to Election Day working to deny Republican nominee Donald Trump the presidency.

Weld told the Boston Globe on Tuesday, hours ahead of the vice presidential debate between the two major party candidates, that while he disagrees with Hillary Clinton’s positions on fiscal and military issues, Trump’s foreign and domestic agenda is “in a class by itself.”

{mosads}”I think Mr. Trump’s proposals in the foreign policy area, including nuclear proliferation, tariffs, and free trade would be so hurtful domestically and in the world, that he has my full attention,” Weld said.

Weld has seen a higher profile recently following several gaffes on the part of his running mate, Gary Johnson, that raised questions about the Libertarian nominee’s grasp of foreign policy issues.

Weld, the former Republican governor of Massachusetts, has denied any speculation he may leave the Libertarian ticket and last month accused the Clinton campaign of having “planted” such rumors.

“I’m certainly not going to drop them this year,” Weld told the Globe, adding he wasn’t sure the kind of “freedom of action” he may have down the road to change parties. He told the newspaper that he and Johnson remain “happy warriors” but Trump must be stopped.

“I have had in mind all along trying to get the Donald into third place and with, some tugging and hauling, we might get there,” Weld said.

Weld has had tough language for Trump compared to Clinton.

The Libertarian VP candidate argued in a Facebook Live interview broadcast Tuesday evening that Trump has “perpetrated a fraud on the U.S.” in arguing that the estimated 12 million undocumented workers living in the country want to become U.S. citizens.

“Most of those people just overstayed their visa,” Weld said.

Meanwhile, Weld remarked last week that Clinton, a former secretary of State, may be the most qualified person to be president.

Still, he has argued Johnson has a more “appealing policy mix” than Clinton. And on Monday, Weld clarified Johnson “would be the best president because of the policies” he has proposed.

Weld’s remarks Tuesday came as Trump’s running make Mike Pence and Clinton’s running mate Tim Kaine were slated to appear in the vice presidential debate in Virginia. He said he’d be live tweeting the event.

Tags Donald Trump Gary Johnson Hillary Clinton Mike Pence Tim Kaine