Sid Daoud, the Libertarian Party candidate for U.S. Senate in Montana, received a shoutout from former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally on Friday, with Trump telling supporters that Daoud would have “a very nice surprise very soon” for them. It was later revealed that a group of Libertarians, including Daoud, had met with Trump and GOP Senate challenger Tim Sheehy prior to the rally.
The remark was made during a rally in Bozeman, Montana, where Trump was addressing local voters to drum up support for down-ballot Republican candidates, particularly Tim Sheehy. About 30 minutes into his speech, Trump gestured to Daoud, who was in attendance, referring to him as his “Libertarian friend” and hinting that Daoud had a surprise in store for the audience before thanking him for being at the rally.
“By the way, we have a great Libertarian with us tonight. Where is our Libertarian friend?” Trump stated during his speech. “What a nice guy. Sid, will you stand up, please? What a nice guy. A lot of us are Libertarian, and I think he’s going to be giving you a very nice surprise very soon. But he’s a great, wonderful person, and we just met, though we knew each other a little bit from before. Thank you very much for being here.”
Following the remark, viewers of the rally asked on social media which Libertarian Trump was referring to before it was revealed that Daoud was in attendance. Some local figures then speculated whether Daoud might be dropping out of the race to support the Trump-endorsed Sheehy. Meanwhile, others considered that Daoud could be the potential Libertarian cabinet appointment Trump hinted at during his speech at the Libertarian National Convention earlier this year.
In a post by Libertarian National Committee Chair Angela McArdle following the news that Daoud was at the rally, she shared that she, Daoud, and Liam McCollum had met with Trump and Sheehy prior to the rally to discuss legislation related to the Defend the Guard Act, as well as their respective campaigns.
“Last night, Libertarians in Montana met with Tim Sheehy and Pres Trump to discuss Defend The Guard and foreign policy, and talk about their races,” McArdle posted. “Sid Daod [sic] was a class act, and Trump treated him really well. Thank you, Liam and Sid, for advancing our goals and making Libertarians look great.”
However, it’s still unclear what Trump meant by saying Daoud would have a “nice surprise” for his supporters. As of this article, Daoud is still in the race but has not updated his campaign account on either X or Facebook since before Friday’s rally. Independent Political Report contacted the Daoud campaign over the weekend for additional comment and will update this article if a response is received.
Very nice.
Trump needs to lose his endorsement of stiff penalties for drug ‘dealers’ and politicized tariffs.
That is not helping him with the non-LP libertarian deadlock voter who votes for the more progressive. He was the progressive in 2016, less so in 2020.
“Walter, why? It’s one person.”
That one person would be the most publicly visible libertarian, and shape the perception of the party. If that person is in the Trump cabinet, he will have to play lap dog, or be dumped, like everyone else that Trump has ever used.
“Sid Daod was a class act, and Trump treated him really well.”
That makes it sound like Daoud is an untrained puppy that McArdle had Trump pet sitting for her.
Is “matronizing” a word? If not, I’m coining it to describe whatever this is.
Walter, why? It’s one person.
Hollow promise from Trump would definitely not surprise me, but:
Acting cabinet secretaries can serve up to a year without confirmation.
If the Senate is Republican they’ll have pressure to confirm whoever Trump nominates.
If it’s democrat, that doesn’t necessarily mean they would reject an appointment just due to association with libertarians either. It’s not a partisan office, and might be a better person than other likely nominees from their perspective.
“A Libertarian in a Trump cabinet is a hollow promise from a politician who is full of them.”
It will be the death of the party as an independent voice
A Libertarian in a Trump cabinet is a hollow promise from a politician who is full of them.
Believe it when we see it, and it’s unlikely to happen.
Why, not do you ask?
Because a Libertarian will never be confirmed by the Senate, regardless of which part of the duopoly is in control of it.
To believe it is going to happen is simply naïve and devoid of understanding of how DC dysfunctions.