Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Former President Donald Trump He failed to win the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination, losing in the first round of voting on Sunday.
what happened: Kennedy's attempt to win the Libertarian Party nomination was quickly rejected, The Hill reported, after he received the support of only 19 delegates, or about 2 percent of the vote, in the party's nominating process at the Washington convention.
Delegates who nominated Kennedy faced significant opposition from the crowd. Despite previously saying he would not seek the party's nomination, Kennedy spoke at the convention on Friday and criticized Trump in his speech.
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Trump, who also attended the convention, fared even worse in the nomination process, receiving just two roll-up votes. The Trump campaign was forced to hold a roll-up vote after the party deemed him ineligible for incomplete paperwork. One delegate humorously voted for Stormy Daniels, the adult film star who is a key figure in the criminal trial against Trump.
Kennedy was seen as an underdog against President Trump and the president. Joe BidenRecent polls suggest he could upset the Trump campaign in November: The former Democrat is currently receiving about 8% support in the Hill/Decision Desk polling average, giving Trump a lead of just over 1% over Biden.
Why is this important?Ahead of the nomination vote, Kennedy and Trump both appeared at the Libertarian Convention, where Kennedy criticized Trump's handling of the COVID-19 crisis, accusing him of buckling down and erasing fundamental rights almost overnight.
Meanwhile, President Trump's promise to commute the prison sentence of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht was met with boos and jeers.
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This story was written and edited with Benzinga Neuro. Shivdeep Dhaliwal