U.S. Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr has long been a vocal supporter of Bitcoin and blockchain technology. Now the popular Democrat has come out to admit that he put money where his mouth is by purchasing 14 Bitcoin for his children.
The revelation came during a Twitter Space interview with podcast show host and crypto investor Scott Melker, where he made his support for the apex cryptocurrency loud and clear.
Kennedy called Bitcoin the “currency of freedom” and went on to explain why he decided to become a crypto investor.
RFK Jr. Is One Proud Bitcoin Holder
The environmental lawyer and politician faced heavy criticism from the mainstream media and the crypto community for promoting Bitcoin but not actually owning the asset. In May, Kennedy spoke at the Bitcoin 2023 Conference in Miami where he stated that as President, he would defend the public’s right to hold and use Bitcoin.
Also adding that he will encourage people to run Bitcoin nodes from their homes, and bring in industry-neutral energy regulations for the crypto sector.
RFK announced that his campaign will be the first in the history of American politics to accept donations in BTC. The vaccine health advocate said his team will integrate the Lightning Network to facilitate faster and cheaper Bitcoin payments on his campaign website.
However, during the event, Kennedy admitted that he does not personally own any Bitcoin, adding that he is not an investor and has no plans to offer any investment advice.
In Wednesday’s interview, Kennedy revealed that he bought two Bitcoin for each of his seven children days after appearing at the Bitcoin Conference 2023. A financial disclosure filed by RFK Jr. on June 30 revealed that he has a brokerage account that holds between $100,000 and $250,000 worth of BTC.
He also joked that since he’s now a Bitcoin owner, the media critics will have to figure out other ways to come at him.
Bitcoin Is “Digital Gold”
Speaking at an event hosted by the Heal-the-Divide PAC earlier this month, the son of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy said that Bitcoin stands alongside gold, silver, and platinum as the hardest currencies. He promised that if elected, he would bring the dollar back to the hard currency standard and also support 1% of the issued fiat currency and U.S. debt obligations with Bitcoin.
RFK also discussed another reform that would see individuals get exempt from capital gains tax for converting Bitcoin into U.S. dollars. The niece of former President, John F. Kennedy, said the move would help boost investment in the country and place the U.S. among the top crypto-friendly jurisdictions in the world.
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“Free Money Is As Important To Freedom As Freedom of Expression”
Kennedy and Melker touched on other topics such as how banks could lock consumers out of their bank accounts without any prior warning. The duo discussed the situation faced by Dr. Joseph Mercola, whose business bank accounts were shut down by The Chase Bank simply because he had different opinions about the coronavirus vaccine than the government and media.
On several occasions, the mainstream media described Mercola, an osteopathic physician, as the “chief spreader of coronavirus misinformation online”.
Kennedy accused the bank of possessing the power to shut down its customers on the grounds of political speech. He warned that America has a “powerful banking interest” with the full support of the Federal Reserve and the federal government, which allow it to carry out censorship activities with zero consequences.
RFK Jr. said the government’s devastating use of “repression” alone makes the case for Bitcoin “all the more important”. He also admitted it was Bitcoin that made him realize for the first time how “free money is as important to freedom as free expression.”
The presidential hopeful also responded to environmental arguments raised against Bitcoin mining, explaining that the talking points were just a “smokescreen” to obscure the real motives for suppressing the cryptocurrency.
Despite being a popular candidate in the Democratic party circles for his radical and uncensored opinions, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is not expected to win the party’s nomination.
However, the support for RFK Jr. is growing as the primaries close in. Bitcoin and the crypto community showcase him as the frontrunner for the most powerful office in the world.
At the time of writing, Bitcoin (BTC) is trading at $29,492 – up 1% in the last 24 hours.
