Libertarian vice presidential nominee Gov. Bill Weld released a statement Wednesday lambasting the websites and media outlets that have used his criticism of Trump to suggest that he was retreating from his running mate, Gov. Gary Johnson, and making a de facto endorsement for Hillary Clinton.
"Led by Occupy Democrats, a well-known mouthpiece for the left, the sensationalists and wishful thinkers are re-writing my forceful condemnation of Donald Trump into a suggestion that voters should support Hillary Clinton," says the statement from Weld.
This is not the first time Weld has spoken openly about Donald Trump or his view that a Trump presidency would be dangerous. During a news conference in Boston Tuesday, Weld delivered a statement that took aim at the Republican nominee.
“After careful observation and reflection, I have come to believe that Donald Trump, if elected President of the United States, would not be able to stand up to this pressure and this criticism without becoming unhinged and unable to perform competently the duties of his office.
Read the Full Statement Here.
MSNBC's Rachel Maddow on Wednesday suggested that this was an endorsement by elimination for Clinton. ThinkProgress ran with the headline, "Libertarian VP nominee quietly throws in towel, urges voters to choose Clinton over Trump." And it doesn't stop with left-leaning news shows and blogs. HotAir, a notoriously conservative-leaning website, published the headline, "Libertarian VP nominee Bill Weld kinda sorta endorses Hillary." The Fiscal Times says, "Looks Like Libertarian VP Candidate Bill Weld Is Supporting Clinton."
Gov. Weld calls these assertions absurd.
"I have made clear from day one my fear of a potential Trump presidency, just as I have made clear my policy differences with Hillary Clinton. The only candidate I am urging voters to support for President is Gov. Gary Johnson. Period," he states.
The Libertarian ticket nationally has dropped in the polls as many voters are approaching the November election with the same "lesser-of-two-evils" mindset as they have in previous elections. However, Johnson and Weld are both polling high enough in many states that even a modest showing could have a major impact on future elections and boost the Libertarian Party's status nationwide.
"The two parties are working hard to keep voters from looking to our campaign. They know, if we win a single state, or get 5% of the national vote, their duopoly over the election process will be over," states Weld.