United States Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took to social media on Thursday, promising to free Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht if elected this November.
RFK Jr. alluded to the draconian nature of Ulbricht's two life sentences for what he characterized as "hosting an e-commerce platform," and shared a petition to demand the release of the Silk Road founder from prison.
The real "crypto President"?
Former President Trump has dominated the headlines and captured the attention of the crypto community due to his recent out-showing of support for the industry. Thus far, the 2024 GOP Presidential candidate has successfully branded himself as "the crypto President," thrusting the issue of cryptocurrencies into the national spotlight.
However, RFK Jr's previous comments and actions reveal a level of support for the blockchain revolution that goes beyond mere campaign rhetoric.
In 2023, the Presidential hopeful proposed backing the U.S. dollar with Bitcoin and eliminating the capital gains tax on the scarce digital asset to help stabilize the price of the overprinted global reserve currency.
The independent candidate also revealed that he purchased Bitcoin (BTC) for each of his 7 children, following criticisms from detractors that he was promoting an asset he had no exposure to. At the time, Kennedy told audiences in a Twitter space, "I'm going to put my money where my mouth is."
Kennedy has also taken a strong position against a central bank digital currency (CBDC), citing privacy concerns and the lack of structural integrity in the traditional banking system as reasons to oppose the creation of a CBDC—something Trump has also publicly opposed.
Related: RFK Jr. latest to vow end to US crypto ‘hostility.’
More recently, the independent candidate proposed the radical solution of placing the entire U.S. fiscal budget on the blockchain for unparalleled transparency, efficiency, and, above all, accountability. At this time, no other U.S. politician has dared to make such a bold proposal.
Pardoning American dissidents in vogue for the 2024 election
As the 2024 election year heats up and November approaches, pardoning American dissidents has become somewhat of a vogue topic for Presidential candidates, including former President Trump, RFK Jr, and former GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
Ramaswamy, who dropped out of the race earlier this year and endorsed Trump, previously indicated that he would pardon Assange, Ulbricht, and other non-violent prisoners on day one. The former GOP candidate is widely expected to be part of President Trump's future cabinet if Trump wins re-election in 2024, with Trump stating "He’s going to be with us in some form."
When asked by independent journalist Tim Pool about the possibility of freeing Julian Assange, former President Trump responded that he was "very seriously" considering pardoning the Wikileaks founder.
RFK Jr, always being a firebrand, has stated that he would pardon Assange, whistleblower Edward Snowden, and Ross Ulbricht if elected to office.
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