Weld is the vice-presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party, but he’s often in the news praising Clinton. He’s made it clear that he views the prospect of a Trump presidency as a disaster, with the unspoken implication that voting for Clinton would be a wise choice. Speaking last night on Rachel Maddow’s show, Weld, the former governor of Massachusetts, went even further, saying “there is nothing there” regarding Clinton’s ongoing e-mail scandal. He added, “I’m here vouching for Mrs. Clinton, and I think it’s high time somebody did. I’m doing it based on my personal experience with her, and I think that she deserves to have people vouch for her other than members of the Democratic National Committee.”
Weld’s words are likely to upset many Libertarians. Matt Welch, editor at large of Reason magazine, predicted as much last night, writing:
But expending valuable time and energy on defending his running-mate’s chief opponent one week before Election Day will likely be the final straw among Libertarians and libertarians who never trusted the former Massachusetts governor in the first place. He was supposed to bring media credibility, fundraising panache, and a path to 15 percent (let alone 5). But what he brought from his first main television appearance as an L.P. standard-bearer was the distinct impression, requiring constant walkback, that he was actively fond of his unlikable opponent, and in this race for himself. Plenty of libertarians wanted to wring his neck long before watching him smirk through sentences tonight such as, “I talk with Gary every other day; we’re on different coasts, usually. But we keep in touch.”