'Unhinged And Unacceptable': Leaders Condemn Libertarian Party Of New Hampshire X 'Assassination' Post

By Michael Graham, NH Journal

A social media post on an account controlled by the former New Hampshire Libertarian Party calling for political violence inspired a bipartisan backlash against the defunct group.

“We openly support the assassination of basically every elected Democrat in New Hampshire,” the post read. “But if you don’t have the balls to do that then you should probably vote GOP.”

The now-deleted post appeared on the @LPNH X account, which was once the social media site of the New Hampshire Libertarian Party. That group, led by Jeremy Kauffman, was booted out of the national Libertarian Party earlier this year.

The national Libertarian Party responded by reiterating that the message came from a group it disaffiliated earlier this year, a decision upheld by a unanimous vote.

“The Libertarian Party does not condone calls for political violence or the initiation of force,” it said. “The organization in New Hampshire currently making violent extremist comments is not affiliated with the Libertarian Party and does not speak for our party.”

The Granite State Libertarian Party joined the national organization in condemning the statement, emphasizing that its members must affirm: “I certify that I oppose the initiation of force to achieve political or social goals.”

However fringe the source of the post may have been, it inspired condemnation from across the New Hampshire political landscape.

“This type of behavior is irresponsible and dangerous. Violent rhetoric has no place in our politics, and threats like this should be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Gov. Kelly Ayotte said.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cinde Warmington also denounced the statement.

“Threats of political violence against elected Democrats — against anyone — are abhorrent, beyond the pale, and endanger public servants across our state. I unequivocally condemn these horrific threats.”

In an unusual move, House Deputy Speaker Steven Smith (R-Charlestown) and Minority Leader Alexis Simpson (D-Exeter) issued a joint statement condemning the posts.

“The Libertarian Party’s posts calling for the assassination of Democrats are completely unhinged and unacceptable. No matter your party, political violence has zero place in New Hampshire, period. We need to drop this garbage, get back to regular debating, and settle our differences the right way,” Smith said.

Simpson said elected officials across the political spectrum have a responsibility to speak out.

“Calls for the assassination of elected officials must be condemned without hesitation. Regardless of party, every leader has a responsibility to reject this dangerous rhetoric. No one should fear for their life because of their beliefs or their decision to serve the people of New Hampshire.”

Simpson said she reported the post to legislative security and the Attorney General’s Office. The New Hampshire Department of Justice has confirmed it was aware of the posts but declined further comment.

The controversy follows a March post from the fringe group’s account asserting that killing former Executive Councilor Andru Volinsky would be permissible under libertarian ethics because of his support for an income tax. Volinsky condemned the statement as an attempt to intimidate him.

In September 2024, the same account drew condemnation and law enforcement scrutiny after posting a statement praising anyone who assassinated then-Vice President Kamala Harris. That post was also deleted.

This story was originally published by the NH Journal, an online news publication dedicated to providing fair, unbiased reporting on, and analysis of, political news of interest to New Hampshire. For more stories from the NH Journal, visit NHJournal.com.