Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an independent candidate making a significant impact on the U.S. election with a 13% approval rating, announced his intent to move the entire U.S. budget to blockchain on the 22nd (local time), according to a report by U.S. political news outlet The Hill.
At a rally in Michigan on the 21st, he declared, “I’m going to put the entire U.S. budget on the blockchain so that any American — every American can look at every budget item in the entire budget anytime they want, 24 hours a day.”
He added, “We’re going to have 300 million eyeballs on our budget, and if somebody is spending $16,000 for a toilet seat, everybody’s going to know about it.”
It references a scandal in a budget report in which the U.S. Department of Defense spent such an amount on replacing a toilet.
He has actively embraced digital assets, planning to accept election donations in Bitcoin and, if elected in November, to back the U.S. dollar with Bitcoin.
He describes himself as the only pro-cryptocurrency candidate in this election.
Stand With Crypto, a nonprofit organization founded by the U.S.’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Coinbase has rated Kennedy as a strong cryptocurrency supporter.
He could become the next President Nayib Bukele. Bukele of El Salvador has adopted Bitcoin as the official currency and invested heavily in it. With the recent surge in Bitcoin, Bukele is enjoying considerable popularity.
His remarks are not to be taken lightly, as he is emerging as a critical variable in determining the U.S. election landscape.
In a poll released by NBC on the 21st, he secured a 13% approval rating, significantly impacting the election landscape.
As a result of his entry, Democratic candidate Joe Biden, who was trailing Republican Donald Trump, has now reversed the trend.
NBC conducted polls for both Biden-Trump head-to-head and multi-candidate races, including minor candidates.
In the head-to-head race, Biden recorded 44% and Trump 46%. However, when Kennedy Jr. was included in the multi-candidate race, the results reversed to Biden 39% and Trump 37%.
This was because Kennedy Jr.’s approval rating reached 13%. Of those who supported Biden in a two-candidate race, 7% chose Kennedy Jr., and 15% of Trump’s supporters chose Kennedy Jr.
This is a surprising result, as it goes against the conventional wisdom that Kennedy Jr., a prominent figure from a Democratic political family, would erode Biden’s votes. It’s analyzed that this is because he appeals to conservative voters as well, having led anti-vaccine movements during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result, both Republican and Democratic camps are on high alert due to his rise.
Kennedy Jr. is the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy and the son of Robert F. Kennedy, the former Attorney General and brother of President Kennedy.