Austin Petersen (born February 19, 1981) is an American media entrepreneur, political commentator, broadcaster, activist, film producer, and former politician. He rose to prominence in libertarian circles during the 2010s through his founding of The Libertarian Republic, his work as executive producer of the 2014 agorist film Alongside Night, and his runner-up finish in the 2016 Libertarian Party presidential nomination. From an anarcho-capitalist perspective, Petersen represents a cautionary tale: an early promoter of liberty-minded media and outreach who was ultimately rejected by anarcho-capitalists for his explicit embrace of “libertarian nationalism”—a hybrid ideology that attempts, and fails, to fuse selective libertarian rhetoric with nationalism, statism, borders, and pragmatic governance, while openly discarding core principles such as the non-aggression principle (NAP) and the goal of a stateless society.
His later work is antithetical to libertarianism, as it prioritizes national identity, collectivist “Western” defense, and a limited state over voluntaryism, private property, consent, and the complete abolition of coercive government. Petersen has since been disavowed by many in the Anarcho-capitalist and libertarian movements, which sees his shift as a betrayal of the principled, individualist foundations of liberty in favor of populist statism.
Early life and education#
Austin Wade Petersen was born on February 19, 1981, in Independence, Missouri, and was raised on a family farm in nearby Peculiar, Missouri. He is the son of Donna and John D. Petersen. He graduated from Missouri State University (then Southwest Missouri State University) with a degree in musical theater.
Career#
Petersen’s early professional life included work as a model and product demonstrator at FAO Schwarz in New York City, where he made a brief appearance in a Late Night with Conan O’Brien sketch. In 2008, he began working with the Libertarian National Committee and the Atlas Network, contributing to Ron Paul’s 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns. He later served as an associate producer for Judge Andrew Napolitano’s Freedom Watch on Fox Business (2010–2012) and as director of production at the conservative advocacy group FreedomWorks.
In the early 2010s, Petersen founded The Libertarian Republic (and its sister site Liberty Viral), online platforms for libertarian news, commentary, and activism. He also worked as a producer and commentator, including appearances on RT’s The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann. In 2014, he served as executive producer of the film Alongside Night, an adaptation of J. Neil Schulman’s novel that promotes agorism—a market-anarchist philosophy closely aligned with anarcho-capitalism. The film featured libertarian figures such as Ron Paul and drew interest from AnCap and agorist audiences for its depiction of a stateless society operating through black and gray markets.
Petersen is the CEO of Stonegait LLC (also known as Stonegait Pictures), a firm offering photo, video, and media consulting services. He hosts the daily Wake Up America show on Rumble and founded the 4Liberty Network. He has produced independent films on liberty and American history and co-authored a series of children’s books with his wife Stephanie, including Calvin the Coolest President (on Calvin Coolidge, 2023), Grover: The Nope President (on Grover Cleveland), and Milei: The Afuera President (on Javier Milei).
Political campaigns#
In 2016, Petersen ran for the Libertarian Party nomination for President of the United States. He finished second to Gary Johnson at the national convention, receiving approximately 21.9% of the delegate vote. His campaign emphasized free-market economics, opposition to the war on drugs, non-interventionism in foreign policy, and a consistent pro-life ethic (opposing both abortion and the death penalty). He appealed to younger libertarians and received endorsements from some conservative and libertarian figures.
Following the 2016 election, Petersen left the Libertarian Party and joined the Republican Party in 2017. In 2018, he ran for the U.S. Senate in Missouri as a Republican but lost in the primary.
Political views and shift to “libertarian” nationalism#
Petersen has long described himself as a minarchist (favoring a minimal night-watchman state) rather than an anarchist. He has publicly rejected the non-aggression principle, arguing that it is impractical or overly rigid, and has criticized aspects of traditional libertarianism.
In 2024, he published A Manifesto for Libertarian Nationalists, in which he explicitly rejects anarcho-capitalism as unrealistic fantasy and advocates discarding the NAP in favor of common-law pragmatism, strong national defense, controlled immigration, and “America First” policies grounded in Western cultural identity. He argues for a fusion of libertarian economics with nationalism, allowing limited state functions while permitting voluntary AnCap-style enclaves (comparable to the Amish). Petersen frames this as a “return to roots” that addresses real-world threats like communism and barbarism, rejecting what he sees as hyper-individualism and cultural relativism in pure libertarianism.
Anarcho-capitalist perspective and rejection#
Early in his career, Petersen’s media work—including The Libertarian Republic and Alongside Night—earned him some positive notice in libertarian and agorist circles for popularizing ideas of voluntary markets and limited government. However, his consistent minarchism, rejection of the NAP, and especially his pivot to “libertarian” nationalism have led to his total rejection by anarcho-capitalists.
AnCaps regard libertarian nationalism as oxymoronic and fundamentally incompatible with libertarian principles. It introduces collectivist elements (national identity, state-enforced borders, and pragmatic aggression in defense of the “nation”) and legitimizes a coercive state apparatus, violating the NAP, voluntary association, and the goal of abolishing all political authority. Petersen’s manifesto openly dismisses anarcho-capitalism as unworkable, confirming for AnCaps that he has abandoned the cause of true liberty in favor of statist compromise. As a result, he is no longer considered by many a part of the liberty movement and is viewed as an example of how even seemingly principled libertarians can drift toward nationalism when prioritizing electoral appeal or cultural preservation over consistent principle.
Personal life#
Petersen lives in Jefferson City, Missouri, with his wife, Stephanie Renee Cole (married October 23, 2021), and their daughter. He is a Japanese karate instructor.
Prominent works#
- Film: Executive producer, Alongside Night (2014)
- Media: Founder and publisher, The Libertarian Republic (2010s); host, Wake Up America (Rumble)
- Books: Co-author (with Stephanie Petersen) of children’s books including Calvin the Coolest President (2023), Grover: The Nope President, and Milei: The Afuera President; author of the 2024 Manifesto for Libertarian Nationalists
- Other: 4Liberty Network; various articles and commentary on liberty, economics, and American history