Libertarian presidential candidate Chase Oliver is making his case to become the next commander in chief.
Oliver spoke with Scripps News' Rob Nelson on Tuesday to explain why voters should choose him over President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
"You can have different characteristics or backgrounds from me," Oliver said. "But if you're living your life in peace without using the force of government, I'm your ally."
The 38-year-old's platform includes no new gun restrictions, the decriminalization of possession and use of all drugs, and creating a simpler path to citizenship for immigrants who are already in the country.
Oliver recognizes that President Biden and Trump have different positions on immigration, but he claims neither candidate has achieved a meaningful solution.
"They'd rather see this as a political football," he said. "Both have allowed Congress to do away with their responsibilities in favor of a major executive overreach."
President Biden is set to announce executive actions on the border on Tuesday that will allow him to bar asylum-seekers from entering the country if the daily encounters reach a certain threshold.
Immigration
President Biden is expected to announce executive action on immigration
While Oliver has little chance of beating his Democrat and Republican counterparts in November, he told Scripps News that he is seeing "cracks" in the two-party system. Asked whether he would vote for Biden or Trump if he were not on the ticket, he said he would stay home.
"I would not vote if Donald Trump and Joe Biden were the only choices on my ballot because it'd be worth more to my time to make a difference in my community or just honestly stay home and take a nap than going out and voting for either one of these men," he said.
Oliver, who is openly gay, believes there's a shift in the country — with younger voters identifying as Libertarians. He added that he believes the U.S. is ready for a gay president.
"I believe that this country is ready for that because we've become a country that's more accepting of people being who they are, living their authentic selves in peace," he said.
