Former President Donald Trump is set to make a rather unconventional appearance as the keynote speaker at the Libertarian Party convention on Saturday. This move comes as Trump's campaign becomes increasingly concerned about the impact of third-party candidates on the upcoming election. According to an event organizer, Trump is expected to focus his speech on shared grievances with Libertarians over President Joe Biden's four years in office.

Trump's team has been closely monitoring the results of an informal poll conducted among convention attendees, to gain insight into the topics that should be addressed during his remarks. This outreach to Libertarians follows a series of attacks by Trump on Robert F. Kennedy Jr., viewed by the former president's advisers as a potential problem in the closely contested election.

During a recent speech at the National Rifle Association, Trump labelled Kennedy's political views as "radical left" and warned his supporters against wasting votes on third-party candidates. Trump also expressed the purpose behind his visit to the Libertarian Party, emphasizing the need to secure their consistent 3% vote share, as it could tip the balance against Joe Biden.

Eight years ago, Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson earned over 3% of the popular vote, a notable achievement for the party. In some closely contested battleground states, the votes garnered by third-party candidates, including Johnson and Jill Stein of the Green Party, were greater than Trump's margin of victory over Hillary Clinton.

While Trump's campaign downplays Kennedy's potential impact on the election, they are not willing to dismiss the risk entirely. Johnson, a former GOP governor of New Mexico, dismisses concerns from both Trump and Biden about third-party candidates, suggesting that the vote distribution would be nearly evenly split between the two major parties in the absence of alternatives.

The decision to host both Trump and Kennedy has brought significant media attention to the Libertarian Party, which has struggled to maintain relevance in recent years. Convention organizers believe that Trump's speech signifies the first time in modern political history that a presumptive Republican or Democratic nominee has spoken at a third-party convention. Biden was also invited to speak but did not respond.

Kennedy has challenged Trump to a debate at the convention, but the request has remained unanswered. The convention organizers aim to provide a platform for an alternative presidential debate, as they face limited media coverage during the election season.

While some attendees see Trump's appearance as a "historical moment" for the Libertarian Party, they do not view it as an endorsement of his candidacy. They remain staunchly committed to their own Libertarian candidates. The challenge for Trump lies in convincing independent-minded voters who are dissatisfied with the two-party system to consider his candidacy.

The Trump campaign spokesperson, Brian Hughes, asserts that they are reaching out to Libertarians, Republicans, independents, and everyone in between. However, some Libertarian members in key battleground states, like Wisconsin, have not witnessed any substantial efforts by the Trump campaign to court their support.

As Kennedy's support has gained momentum and reached double digits in national surveys, Trump has intensified his attacks on the independent candidate. Trump sees potential alignment between Libertarians and Republicans on limited government and fiscal responsibility, though they differ on issues such as LGBTQ rights and marijuana policy.

Gary Johnson, however, sees little overlap between the Libertarian Party and modern Republicans, including Trump. He points to the substantial increase in national debt and government spending under Trump's administration, as well as the Covid-19 lockdown measures. Johnson suggests that while the crowd may be receptive to some of Trump's views, many others do not align with Libertarian principles.

As the election approaches, Trump's appearance at the Libertarian Party convention underscores his campaign's focus on courting dissatisfied voters and countering the influence of third-party candidates. Whether his efforts will make a significant impact or sway independent-minded voters remains to be seen.