Democratic Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expressed his clear stance on figures such as Julian Assange and Edward Snowden.
What Happened: Kennedy Jr. in an interview with Bitcoin Magazine published on Wednesday vowed to pardon them on his first day in office if elected as president. Additionally, he expressed interest in reviewing the case of Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, to determine the fairness of his conviction and sentence.
Former Central Intelligence Agency contractor Edward Snowden, a self-proclaimed whistleblower, as well as Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, have been pursued by the U.S. government for years over accusations they leaked confidential and sensitive information.
Kennedy Jr. stated, “Yeah, I will pardon Julian Assange on day one, and probably Snowden as well. And I will look at other cases… I’m gonna look at Ross Ulbricht's case, to see if he was justly convicted, or if he was being made an example of in order to discourage, you know, Bitcoin or the industry.”
Ulbricht is serving a double life sentence for his role in creating the Silk Road marketplace on the dark web that allowed users to purchase almost anything, including illegal substances, with Bitcoin. The Silk Road website was created in 2011 and was eventually shut down by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2013.
Kennedy Jr.’s interest in Bitcoin stems from witnessing the trucker strike and the government’s response to peaceful demonstrations. He explained, “I understood that we need a currency that is a freedom currency… independent and that can’t be controlled by the government.”
When asked about concerns regarding government influence or restrictions on Bitcoin and Bitcoin mining, RFK Jr. expressed his worry about government attacks on the cryptocurrency. "I’m very concerned about all the government attacks on Bitcoin. You know, what I would like to do is to at least provide some issuance of treasury bills, that it’s backed by hard currency.
He proposed issuing treasury bills backed by hard assets, including Bitcoin, platinum, gold, and silver, to provide greater stability and independence from government control.
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Why It Matters: However, he made it clear that he opposes central bank digital currencies, fearing they would become instruments of power and control, giving the government complete authority over people’s lives. He specifically mentioned events in China, where digital currencies were tied to social credit systems and obedience to government mandates.
Kennedy Jr. continued, “I’m gonna make sure that Bitcoin is protected, that people can get their own wallets… and the current White House war on Bitcoin will be over. And I’ll look ultimately at treating it as a currency rather than a commodity, particularly for smaller Bitcoin owners.”
Although Jr. provided a general direction for his approach, he acknowledged the need to consult with experts and industry specialists, such as Stanley Druckenmiller and Paul Tudor Jones, to develop the best strategies that uphold individual freedoms and promote the reindustrialization of America, benefiting working Americans.
He has publicly declared his support for Bitcoin. "I bought two Bitcoin for each of my seven children," Kennedy disclosed during an interview in July. He made this investment shortly after speaking at the Bitcoin Conference in May.
Price Action: At the time of writing, BTC was trading at $27,362.22, down 0.86% in the last 24 hours, according to Benzinga Pro.
Photo by Ringo Chiu on Shutterstock
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