US presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. "I'd put every budget on the blockchain"
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who is running as an independent candidate in the U.S. presidential election and securing 13 percent of the vote, said that he would "put the entire U.S. budget on the blockchain," The Hill reported on Nov. 22 (local time). "I will put the entire U.S. budget on the blockchain so that every American can see every line item in the entire budget 24 hours a day, whenever they want," he said at a rally in Michigan on Nov. 21. "If we put the U.S. budget on the blockchain, 300 million people will be able to see it at any time, and we won't be replacing toilets for $16,000," he added. This is a reference to the "scandal" of a budget report that reported that the US Department of Defense spent that amount on toilet replacements.
He has embraced digital assets, accepting campaign contributions in bitcoin and announcing plans to back the U.S. dollar with bitcoin if elected in November.He portrays himself as the only pro-cryptocurrency candidate in the race. Stand With Crypto, a nonprofit organization founded by Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency (virtual currency) exchange in the U.S., described Kennedy as a "strong supporter of cryptocurrency."
He could be the next Bukele. El Salvadoran President Nave Buquele adopted Bitcoin as the official currency and invested heavily in the cryptocurrency. With Bitcoin's recent surge, Bukele has become quite popular. His comments are not to be ignored, as he is quickly becoming a major factor in the U.S. presidential election.
In a poll released today by NBC, he received 13% of the vote. In particular, he is having a decisive impact on the election. His surge has helped Democratic candidate Joe Biden pull ahead of Republican Donald Trump in the polls. NBC examined not only the Biden-Trump head-to-head matchup, but also a multi-party matchup that included other minor candidates. In the head-to-head matchup, Biden won 44% to Trump's 46%. But in a three-way matchup including Kennedy Jr. the numbers flipped, with Biden at 39% and Trump at 37%. This is because Kennedy Jr. has a 13% favorability rating. In a two-way matchup, 7 percent of Biden supporters and 15 percent of Trump supporters chose Kennedy Jr.
This defies the conventional wisdom that Kennedy Jr. would siphon off more votes from Biden, as he comes from a Democratic political family. This is because Kennedy Jr. is a Democrat, but he also appeals to conservative voters, including leading the anti-vaccine movement during the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, both Republican and Democratic camps are keenly aware of his rise. Kennedy Jr. is the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy and the son of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, Kennedy's brother.
