RFK Jr. Promises to Fight Against CBDC Adoption

Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known for embracing Bitcoin for campaign contributions, stands united with former President Donald Trump in opposing the introduction of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the United States.

In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Kennedy shared a clip from his interview with Joseph Mercola, an advocate for alternative health solutions. During the interview, featured on Mercola’s podcast “Take Control Over Your Health,” Kennedy expressed deep concerns over the implications of a CBDC. He argued that such a currency would grant the government invasive insight into every transaction individuals make, potentially leading to coercion or blackmail. Kennedy labeled the CBDC as a dire threat to both human and civil rights.

Drawing parallels with China’s implementation of the digital yuan, Kennedy cautioned against the potential for governments to exploit CBDCs for surveillance and control. He referenced how China’s digital currency is intertwined with a comprehensive social credit system, enabling the government to potentially restrict individuals’ access to their funds based on behavior monitored through street surveillance cameras. This concern was echoed in a 2023 report by Chainalysis, which highlighted the risk of the Chinese government integrating financial data from the digital yuan with other information, feeding into its social credit system.

Kennedy firmly committed to halting the progression toward a CBDC should he be elected president, emphasizing his intent to preserve the use of paper cash. Nonetheless, he acknowledged Bitcoin as a more robust protector of individual financial autonomy than cash.

Trump, another presidential hopeful, has similarly pledged to prevent the adoption of a CBDC in the U.S. While Trump expressed skepticism about Bitcoin during his presidency, other Republican figures like Vivek Ramaswamy and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have shown support for cryptocurrencies and resistance to CBDCs, eventually endorsing Trump after withdrawing from the presidential race.

Kennedy, who departed from the Democratic Party in October 2023, continues to vie for ballot inclusion. He faces the challenge of meeting the signature requirements for independent candidates, which are more stringent than those for party-affiliated candidates. Open to alternative pathways, Kennedy has indicated a willingness to consider running under the Libertarian Party banner in January 2024.