A third “Rage Against the War Machine” rally is planned for later this spring at the same venue hosting the Libertarian Party’s 2026 national convention, according to a recent statement shared by the Mises Caucus of the Libertarian Party.
In a press release published March 31, the caucus said the rally, billed by organizers as “Rage Against the War Machine 3.0,” is scheduled for May 24 at the DeVos Place Convention Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It will take place during the same weekend that Libertarian delegates will meet for the party’s national convention.
According to both the statement and a fundraising page associated with the rally, the event will center on opposition to U.S. involvement in a conflict with Iran and broader calls for a non-interventionist foreign policy. Messaging includes calls for “no new wars,” opposition to troop deployments in Iran, and criticism of what organizers describe as a departure from earlier “America First” commitments.
“Many participants view themselves as core members of the broad coalition that helped elect President Donald Trump and supported Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence,” the statement reads. “That coalition’s support for the current administration has now fractured in response to the war with Iran, which they see as a major broken campaign promise of President Trump.”
Organizers also put forward a series of demands tied to the event, including calls for President Donald Trump to remove advisors supportive of military escalation, that his administration avoid engaging in wars for resources and to enact “regime change” efforts, and calls that U.S. allies take greater responsibility for their own defense, including that Israel “fight its own battles.”
Featured announced speakers include anti-interventionist advocates and media figures such as Dan McKnight of Bring Our Troops Home, Antiwar.com editorial director Scott Horton, and activist Aaron Day, an independent candidate for U.S. Senate in New Hampshire and chief executive of the Daylight Freedom Foundation. Additional speakers and performers are expected to be announced.
While the original Rage Against the War Machine website, which previously listed event sponsors and details, is no longer online, the caucus identified activist Tim Miller as a co-organizer and itself as a sponsor. The crowdfunding page also lists Nick Brana of the People’s Party as part of the organizing team, and a Vermont affiliate of the group has indicated it will once again support this year’s event.
The first “Rage Against the War Machine” rally was held at the Lincoln Memorial in February 2023 and was organized primarily by the Libertarian and People’s parties, along with additional anti-war coalition partners. The event later received the endorsement of the Green Party and brought together a cross-ideological coalition of speakers opposing U.S. involvement in the Russia–Ukraine war, NATO expansion, and foreign aid, though it also drew controversy over some organizing decisions.
A second rally was held in September 2024 at the Washington Monument as part of the broader “Rescue the Republic” weekend. The event featured many of the same figures and drew additional participation from personalities associated with the larger gathering. Notably, the Libertarian National Committee did not vote to endorse the rally until several weeks before it took place, despite the party again being listed as a sponsor beforehand.
In both earlier events, organizers put forward a set of anti-interventionist demands, including ending U.S. funding for foreign conflicts, namely in Ukraine and Gaza, reducing global military commitments and the disbandment of NATO, and restoring civil liberties.
What Auntie Trust said. Also, interesting that there is no mention of Angela McArdle. She was a main organizer of the previous two rallies, but is pretty much persona non grata in the LP at this point, standing accused of embezzling thousands of dollars from the party with her partner and hiding it from the Libertarian National Committee, which had previously voted to terminate his contract, by creating a shell company that did not list his name – they have not repaid the funds.
Considering they did this and STILL endorsed Trump, they should sit this one out. Their goodwill is running thin.