Spike Cohen

Jeremy "Spike" Cohen (born June 28, 1982) is an American libertarian political activist, entrepreneur, and podcaster. He is the founder of Muddied Waters Media, a platform for libertarian commentary and discourse, which he has used to advocate for individual liberty, voluntary solutions to societal issues, and reducing government overreach. He has also been a prominent advocate for private charity and mutual aid networks as alternatives to government welfare programs, emphasizing the importance of community-driven initiatives. Cohen frequently engages with grassroots organizations and local communities, promoting education on libertarian principles and supporting efforts to dismantle systemic barriers to personal and economic freedom.

He was the Libertarian Party's nominee for vice president of the United States in 2020, serving as Jo Jorgensen's running mate. As the Libertarian Party's vice presidential nominee in 2020, Cohen focused on a range of issues, including ending qualified immunity for law enforcement, criminal justice reform, scaling back U.S. military interventions, and reducing federal taxation and regulation. Cohen's father is Jewish, and he was raised as a Messianic Jew, including having a bar mitzvah.

He picked the nickname "Spike" at the age of 3, after the character from the 1986 children's film My Little Pony: The Movie. He lives in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Career In 1998, at the age of 16, Cohen began learning web design and subsequently started a profitable business within a few years. In 2016, after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Cohen sold his web design business and turned his focus to libertarian messaging, entertainment, and activism.

Guest appearances and interviews During the 2020 election cycle, Cohen and Jo Jorgensen participated in joint broadcast interviews about their campaign and platform. In 2024, Cohen participated in campus programming at Dartmouth College and was interviewed by student media in connection with those events.

Speaking engagements Cohen has appeared at political and civic events, including Libertarian campaign stops during the 2020 cycle. In 2024, he took part in a Dartmouth Political Union debate on gun policy.

Activism and mutual aid work Cohen founded You Are The Power, a social welfare organization organized under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Community outreach and charity initiatives In 2023, Cohen and You Are The Power became involved in advocacy related to a homeless encampment in Gastonia, North Carolina, including public comment before the city council.

Partnerships and coalition work Cohen has participated in issue coalitions with groups across the political spectrum. In 2021, he traveled to Ohio to support a petition drive seeking to end qualified immunity for law enforcement and other public employees.

Legal advocacy and litigation support Cohen has supported campaigns that moved through election-law review and related court proceedings as part of ballot-initiative activity on qualified immunity in Ohio.

2020 vice presidential campaign

Cohen ran as the proposed running mate of presidential candidate Vermin Supreme in the 2020 Libertarian presidential primaries, and was actively involved in campaigning.

After Supreme lost the Libertarian presidential nomination to Jo Jorgensen on May 23, 2020, Cohen remained in the race for the party's vice presidential nomination. Despite Jorgensen having expressed a preference for John Monds to be her running mate over Cohen and Ken Armstrong, Cohen defeated Monds with 533 delegate votes to Monds' 472 after three rounds of voting. As the Libertarian Party's vice presidential nominee, Cohen became the first Jewish vice presidential nominee of a political party since Joe Lieberman in 2000.

Cohen, a former ally of performance artist and perennial candidate Vermin Supreme, ran during his vice presidential primary campaign on a largely satirical platform promoting free ponies, mandatory tooth brushing, "zombie power", killing "baby Hitler" and "baby Woodrow Wilson", and promoting anarchy. Cohen promised that should these not be achieved within the first 100 days of his vice presidency, he would resign and be replaced with Baby Yoda.

After officially receiving the Libertarian vice presidential nomination, Cohen acknowledged that such humor tactics were "all fun satire to bring people in", adding "(t)hen you hit them with the actual message. The actual Libertarian message of self-ownership and non-aggression and voluntary solutions and property rights, and so forth."

Political activism after 2020

Party activity and endorsements Following the 2020 election, Cohen continued participating in Libertarian activism and issue-oriented events, including appearances connected to debates and campus programming.

Issue campaigns Cohen has remained active in criminal-justice and policing-related advocacy. In 2021, he appeared in Ohio in support of a proposed constitutional amendment campaign focused on ending qualified immunity. In 2025, the measure advanced after litigation related to the ballot language and review process.