Kauffman says patriots "cannot advocate for self-defense"
Jeremy KauffmanChair, Libertarian Party of New Hampshire
After the social platform X temporarily locked the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire's account for violating its rules against threats of violence, party chair Jeremy Kauffman said it was inconsistent that his side could not advocate for self-defense while opponents faced no similar restriction.
“It remains a major asymmetry that communists can openly argue for mass enslavement, but patriots cannot advocate for self-defense”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Was the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire's 'assassination' post a threat of political violence?
On September 22, 2026, the official X account of the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire posted that the party "openly support[s] the assassination of basically every elected Democrat in New Hampshire," adding that anyone unwilling to do so should vote Republican. InDepthNH.org attributed the post to party chair Jeremy Kauffman. The Boston Globe and Boston.com described it as deleted, while InDepthNH.org reported on September 23 that it remained live and that party chair Jeremy Kauffman said it had not been taken down. New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte, state Democratic Party chairman Raymond Buckley, House Democratic Leader Alexis Simpson, U.S. Representatives Chris Pappas and Maggie Goodlander, and Republican congressional candidate Lily Tang Williams condemned the post. The state Attorney General's office said it was aware of the post but would not comment further. The Libertarian Party of New Hampshire's account separately said its posts are "completely legal," and after X temporarily suspended the account, Kauffman wrote that "patriots" should be able to "advocate for self-defense." It was the third time since 2024 that the party's account had posted about killing elected officials; the national Libertarian Party disaffiliated the state party in May 2026.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Reports the national Libertarian Party's May 2026 disaffiliation of the New Hampshire party, its statement on the September post, and reactions from congressional candidates.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The Libertarian Party of New Hampshire's account had posted on September 22 that it openly supports the assassination of basically every elected Democrat in New Hampshire. X temporarily locked the account for breaking its rules against threatening or glorifying violence.
After the quotation
The Libertarian Party of New Hampshire's account remained locked for at least a week, according to the Boston Globe.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to the fixed reference point, Kauffman reframed the party's rhetoric as legitimate self-defense rather than disavowing it, which defends the underlying conduct rather than rejecting or minimizing it.
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More from this case
Read the full caseLPNH calls Ayotte's letter an effort to curtail legal political speech
Libertarian Party of New Hampshire
“curtail legal political speech”Read statement
Ayotte asks X to remove the party's posts and suspend its account
“Violent rhetoric is completely unacceptable and has no place in our civil discourse. These posts plainly violate X's own rules on violent content, and I'm calling on X to remove them and suspend the account immediately.”Read statement
Simpson calls on X to permanently ban the LPNH account
“Enough is enough. Week after week, the LPNH account posts rhetoric on X intended to encourage violence against Democrats. I have reported these posts to the appropriate law enforcement. X needs to enforce its rules and permanently ban the LPNH account.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Kauffman says patriots "cannot advocate for self-defense"". First published: 2026-09-29. Last updated: 2026-09-29. https://disputeindex.com/events/3254-after-the-social-platform-x-temporarily-locked-the