Jo Jorgensen, candidate for president

Libertarian Presidential Nominee

  • former vice presidential nominee for Libertarian Party in 1996
  • lecturer in psychology at Clemson University
  • libertarian nominee for South Carolina’s Fourth Congressional candidate in 1992
  • graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University in 1979; master’s from Southern Methodist University in 1980; ph.D. from Clemson University in 2002

Nominated as the Libertarian Party presidential candidate during the party’s national convention May 23. 

Jorgensen on impeachment: 

It’s unclear on Jorgensen’s campaign website whether she supported or opposed the impeachment of President Donald Trump. 

Slogan: Let Her Speak

Jo Jorgensen, candidate for president's view on

Health care

Jorgensen said the underlying reasons as to why U.S. healthcare is so expensive is because of the Republican and Democratic policy decisions over the last 50 years. 

She said the two parties spend too much time disagreeing on whether private insurance companies or government bureaucrats should manage healthcare decisions. Rather, these policies are the “exact opposite” of what should be done, she said.  

Her plan would allow real price competition by reducing government and insurance company paperwork. She says this would reduce the cost of health care by 75%. 

Jorgensen states she believes health insurers should be allowed to deny coverage to individuals who have a pre-existing condition. 

Her plan would eliminate the government’s involvement in health care altogether. 

Jorgensen would abolish the FDA, noting the government should not regulate the prices of life-saving drugs. 

Her plan would allow competition between drug companies to keep prices down. 

She does not support the Affordable Care Act, and does not believe the federal government should increase funding for low-income individuals. 

Jo Jorgensen, candidate for president's view on

Guns

According to Jorgensen’s campaign website, the candidate opposes additional restrictions for purchasing a gun. She also opposes allowing victims of gun violence to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers. 

Jorgensen supports the notion of school teachers carrying guns in schools. 

“Guns are tools that exist in the world. They cannot be willed out of existence, legislated away, constitutionally removed from society, nor pragmatically removed from life as we know it.” — Jorgensen on Twitter. 

Jo Jorgensen, candidate for president's view on

Climate change/environment

Jorgensen does not think the government should increase environmental regulations to prevent climate change. Instead, her plan would remove all subsidies on all energy production to create a “level-playing field” that allows emissions-free nuclear power. 

She supports the withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, which President Donald Trump announced the move June 2017.

Jorgensen has expressed support for hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources, so long as fracking companies are held responsible for damages. She also supports the expansion of offshore oil drilling. 

Her plan would focus on replacing coal- and oil-burning power plants with non-polluting tech power plants. 

Jo Jorgensen, candidate for president's view on

Immigration/child-parent separation, detention and border wall

She does not support separating children from parents who attempt to illegally cross the border. 

Jorgensen said she supports deporting immigrants charged of a serious crime. However, she does not support the detainment of illegal immigrants for minor crimes or transferring them to federal immigration authorities. 

She would not enact a temporary ban on all immigration into the U.S. or support the continued construction of a border wall on the U.S. southern border. 

Jorgensen supports children being granted legal citizenship if they are born in the country, even if their parents are illegal immigrants. 

Her plan would not increase restrictions on current U.S. border security policies.

Jo Jorgensen, candidate for president's view on

Economy/minimum wage/income inequality

Her plan would work to slash federal funding to minimize government involvement. Part of this includes making cuts to public spending that would reduce the national debt. 

Jorgensen said she does not support raising taxes for the rich, but she would lower or eliminate tax business taxes to achieve maximum job creation. 

Her plan would increase restrictions on welfare benefits. 

She does not support a universal basic income program or requirements to pay men and women the same salary for the same job. Jorgensen said she believes the government should eliminate all wage standards, and would not establish a federal minimum wage. 

Jorgensen said while she supports private labor unions, she opposes public labor unions. 

She does not support the federal government providing economic aid during a recession, like the $2.2 trillion CARES Act passed during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Her plan would pull the U.S. from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which Trump has worked to eliminate and replace while in office.  

Jo Jorgensen, candidate for president's view on

Education/student debt/free tuition

Her plan would eliminate the Department of Education to return control of education to parents, teachers and students. 

Jorgensen also opposes the Common Core standards for public education. 

She said she would work to decriminalize school truancy. 

Her plan would not fund universal preschool through the federal government. 

Jorgensen said she would not increase taxes for the rich to reduce student loan interest rates, and would not support the federal government paying for tuition at four-year public colleges and universities. 

Jo Jorgensen, candidate for president's view on

Foreign policy

Jorgensen’s slogan on foreign policy and neutrality is: “Turn America into One Giant Switzerland: Armed and Neutral.” Under this plan, the U.S. would not become involved in any foreign war — only prepared to defend the U.S. 

Her first priority would be to bring all U.S. troops home on her first day in office, she told Maryland Matters. 

Her plan would eliminate U.S. military aid to foreign governments, bringing home all military personnel stationed across the world. 

Jorgensen would not require 18-year-old citizens to serve at least one year in the military, with an overall decrease in federal military funding. 

Her plan would withdraw the U.S. from the United Nations and NATO — while pulling all troops out of Afghanistan. Jorgensen said bringing troops home would significantly help with the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic. 

She does not support U.S. aid to any foreign country, withdrawing funding to Israel. 

Jorgensen condemns the idea of officially declaring war on ISIS. 

Jo Jorgensen, candidate for president's view on

Military

“Turn America into One Giant Switzerland: Armed and Neutral – with the military force to defend America’s shores and soil against any foreign attackers or invaders. Protected by an armed citizenry and by a military laser-focused on defending America.  No US involvement in foreign wars. Bring home our 200,000+ American military personnel stationed in foreign countries. No US military aid to foreign governments. No US blockades or embargoes of non-military trade. Peace.” — Jorgensen campaign website

Jo Jorgensen, candidate for president's view on

Marijuana

According to Jorgensen’s campaign website, she strongly supports the legalization of marijuana — implying both for medical and recreational purposes. 

Jorgensen said her first priority in office would be ending the “failed war on drugs,” pardoning all nonviolent, victimless offenders in federal prisons her first day in office. 

“If there is no victim, there is no crime,” she said in a video on her campaign website.