Gemini co-founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss have each pledged $1 million in Bitcoin (BTC) toward the reelection of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
In June 20 X posts, the Winklevoss twins said they planned to vote for the prospective Republican Party candidate for U.S. President on Nov. 5, saying they would each send 15.47 BTC — roughly $1 million at the time of publication — to his campaign. Both brothers claimed that Trump was “pro-Bitcoin” and “pro-crypto,” and President Joe Biden had “openly declared war against crypto” while in office.
“President Donald J. Trump is the pro-Bitcoin, pro-crypto, and pro-business choice,” claimed Tyler. “This is not even remotely open for debate. Anyone who tells you otherwise is severely misinformed, delusional, or not telling the truth [...] It’s time for the crypto army to send a message to Washington. That attacking us is political suicide.”
Tyler specifically cited the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s enforcement actions against crypto firms under the Biden administration and the “weaponization of the banking system against crypto companies” — a reference to Operation Choke Point 2.0. The twins did not mention the regulator’s activity under Trump from 2017 to 2021.
The Winklevoss brothers reportedly attended a June fundraiser for Trump, costing up to $300,000 per person. They have also donated roughly $5 million to the Fairshake political action committee and its affiliates, which has been responsible for attack ads against lawmakers and backing certain Democratic and Republican candidates for office.
Related: Trump promises to become the ‘crypto president’ — Law Decoded
The twins’ announcement did not mention Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts in May, which could interfere with the former president’s attempt to run again. Though he leads the polls as the prospective Republican presidential candidate, Trump will face a sentencing hearing in New York on July 11 — less than a week before he is expected to secure the official party nomination.
In the last two months amid his legal troubles, Trump has hosted a dinner for people who purchased a non-fungible token of his mugshot in a criminal case in Georgia, said his campaign will accept donations in crypto and met with executives from major mining firms — the last of which resulted in Trump announcing his intention to have all BTC mined in the United States. President Biden has also reportedly been considering having his reelection campaign accept cryptocurrency.
Many on X seemed supportive of the Winklevoss’ endorsement. However, some questioned Trump’s intentions on crypto and whether he was looking to learn from the example of Robert F. Kennedy Jr, a crypto-friendly candidate running as an Independent in 2024. Trump also called Bitcoin a scam in 2021 after he had left office.
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