Libertarian Party presidential nominee Gary Johnson on Thursday invited voters to consider his candidacy with the question, “How about a couple of skeptics?”
Appearing on CNN’s “New Day,” the former New Mexico governor pitched the central tenant of his foreign policy — opposition to military interventions overseas.
“Whenever we get involved in regime change, these military interventions have resulted in a less safe world, not a more safe world,” Johnson said.
Meanwhile, his running mate, former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, used the morning-after CNN’s town hall event with the Libertarian ticket to knock GOP nominee Donald Trump and the existent party order.
“The two-party monopoly in Washington has gotten to the point where it’s kind of run out of gas, and it’s even bad for the country,” Weld said.
While the two former Republican governors have been critical of both parties, their strongest barbs have been reserved for the Republican presidential nominee. Johnson’s attacks on Hillary Clinton’s personal record have been much fewer in number and a relatively new feature to his campaign.
Asked about the discrepancy, Weld said it was because he viewed Trump as “temperamentally” unsuited to occupy the Oval Office.
“In Donald’s case he seems to want all the credit, and he seems to be pretty liberal about dishing out the blame,” Weld said. “That’s just not going to work.”
Johnson and Weld also explained another unorthodox part of their campaign: the pledge to have a co-presidency, with a shared staff and a nearly symbiotic approach to running the executive branch.
“I love the idea. Bill Weld is a role model to me,” Johnson said. “I think it’s two for the price of one.”
Weld said he had employed a similar approach as governor, and that he had deferred to his lieutenant governor and successor, Paul Cellucci.