Libertarian groups, including the national Libertarian Party, and New Hampshire lawmakers and candidates from multiple political parties have condemned the disaffiliated Libertarian Party of New Hampshire after it said it supports assassinating elected Democrats in the state.
The responses all follow remarks made Tuesday by the former Libertarian affiliate, saying, “We openly support the assassination of basically every elected Democrat in New Hampshire. But if you don’t have the balls to do that then you should probably vote GOP.” The post has since been pulled down from the party’s X account.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander, who is seeking reelection in the 2nd Congressional District, was among the first elected officials to respond Tuesday, condemning what she called “threats of and calls for murder” and calling on the New Hampshire Attorney General and federal law enforcement to investigate.
“I condemn, with every fiber of my being, the threats of and calls for murder from the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire,” Goodlander said. “Every freedom-loving American — Independents, Republicans, Democrats, and, yes, Libertarians — must do the same.”
The response expanded Wednesday, with Democratic U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte, Republican congressional nominee Lily Tang Williams, and leaders from both parties in the New Hampshire House joining the condemnation.
“Rhetoric calling for political assassination has no place in New Hampshire or our country — something we should all be able to agree on regardless of our political beliefs,” Pappas, who is running for U.S. Senate this year as the Democratic nominee, stated on his congressional website. He also urged New Hampshire leaders to condemn the threats and called on social media platforms to more strongly enforce their terms of services.
Ayotte, who is seeking another term as governor, called the remarks “irresponsible and dangerous.”
“This type of behavior is irresponsible and dangerous. Violent rhetoric has no place in our politics, and threats like this should be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Ayotte said in remarks republished by NHJournal.
Williams, a former chair of the Libertarian Party of Colorado now running as the Republican nominee for the 2nd Congressional District, also rejected the remarks, saying, “Calling for the assassination of elected officials is dangerous and unacceptable. Political violence has no place in America—period.”
Williams referenced her experience surviving what she called an “oppressive communist regime” where political violence was common and said disagreements should instead be settled through free speech, peaceful debate, and elections.
Republican Deputy House Speaker Steven Smith and Democratic House Minority Leader Alexis Simpson also issued a joint statement Wednesday. According to NHJournal, which also carried the statements, Smith called the posts “completely unhinged and unacceptable,” while Simpson said, “Calls for the assassination of elected officials must be condemned without hesitation.”
Several Libertarian organizations issued their own statements Wednesday. The national Libertarian Party released a statement on social media where it rejected political violence and again clarified that the organization operating as the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire is no longer affiliated with it. The Libertarian National Committee disaffiliated the group in May, and the Libertarian Judicial Committee later unanimously rejected its appeal.
“The Libertarian Party does not condone calls for political violence or the initiation of force,” the national party said. “The organization in New Hampshire currently making violent extremist comments is not affiliated with the Libertarian Party and does not speak for our party.”
The national party identified the Granite State Libertarian Party as its recognized New Hampshire affiliate and pointed to the Libertarian Party Membership Pledge, which encompasses the Non-Aggression Principle and requires members to oppose initiating force to achieve political or social goals.
“Political and social change must be pursued through peaceful, voluntary means — not violence, threats, or aggression,” the national party said.
The Granite State Libertarian Party separately condemned the remarks and said they run contrary to Libertarian principles. The group also pointed to the controversy as an example of why its members formed a separate organization following the former affiliate’s disaffiliation.
“The call for the assassination of Democratic elected officials in the state of NH is absolutely against the core values of Libertarianism and the Libertarian Party as a whole,” Granite State Libertarian Party Chair Rachel Danner said.
“This kind of behavior is why we formed the Granite State Libertarian Party,” Danner continued. “LPNH has consistently misrepresented Libertarian values in the state of NH, and our goal as an organization is to encompass those true core values and focus on achieving liberty in our lifetime through the means of peaceful participation, elections, advocacy, and engagement.”
The neighboring Libertarian Party of Maine also condemned the remarks Wednesday, calling them “a blatant betrayal of the one principle our movement exists to defend.” The party said the libertarian principle of non-aggression prohibits initiating force regardless of political disagreement and argued that Libertarians cannot oppose coercion by government while advocating violence against their neighbors.
“We don’t apologize for LPNH’s statement, because it isn’t ours to apologize for,” the Libertarian Party of Maine said. “We condemn it flatly, without qualification.”
The multipartisan response extended even further Thursday when New Hampshire Constitution Party Chair and U.S. Senate candidate Edmond Laplante condemned political violence and intimidation, instead urging voters to refrain from such an approach and make their own decisions at the ballot box.
“Political violence is not a joke, and making light of it or using it to express an opinion is inappropriate,” Laplante said. “We can disagree strongly about politics without trying to intimidate people into choosing a certain candidate or party.”
“Don’t let anyone bully you, frighten you, or tell you how you’re supposed to vote,” he continued. “Look at the candidates, consider the issues, ask questions, and make your own decision. That’s what a free election is supposed to be about!”
In its own defense, the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire clarified on X that the Libertarian Party “condemns all political violence” and to “use violence against politicians ONLY in self-defense.” The party also shared a screenshot of what it has said to other media publications when pressed for comment, specifically “LPNH believes that New Hampshire is healthier and freer when anyone who would enact an income tax fears for their life.”
Jeremy Kauffman, chair of the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire, later said on his personal X account that the party’s account had been locked over the post, sharing a screenshot showing that it had been placed in “read only” mode. “It remains a major asymmetry that communists can openly argue for mass enslavement, but patriots cannot advocate for self-defense,” he said.
The Libertarian Party of New Hampshire continues to operate independently despite losing its national affiliation, separate from any national organization. The Libertarian National Committee recognized the Granite State Libertarian Party as its replacement affiliate earlier this month.
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