Donald Trump says his campaign will accept crypto
Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign for U.S. President announced that it would accept eight cryptocurrencies after an NFT dinner in which a supporter raised the issue.
Hey everyone, here’s some interesting news from the world of politics and crypto! Former President Donald Trump, who’s currently dealing with criminal charges in four different places across the U.S., has announced that his 2024 presidential campaign will accept cryptocurrency donations.
In a notice dated May 21, the Trump 2024 campaign revealed that they have set up a fundraising page where eligible supporters can donate using cryptocurrencies through Coinbase Commerce. The website features logos of popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Dogecoin (DOGE), Shiba Inu (SHIB), XRP, USD Coin (USDC), Solana (SOL), and 0x (ZRX). The announcement also mentioned Senator Elizabeth Warren’s criticisms of cryptocurrency, claiming she was acting as President Joe Biden’s “official surrogate” in Congress.
During a dinner on May 8 for supporters who bought an NFT featuring his mugshot from a Georgia jail, Trump stated that attendees would soon be able to donate to his campaign in crypto. With less than six months until Election Day, Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2024 U.S. presidential race, likely to face President Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee.
On May 15, Trump responded to President Biden’s challenge, agreeing to participate in televised debates on CNN on June 27 and on ABC on September 10. Although the details are still being finalized, these debates could be the first time the two face each other in person since the 2020 election, which Biden won.
Interestingly, despite the crypto donation option, Trump’s campaign website doesn’t currently have any specific mentions of digital assets or blockchain technology on its ‘issues’ page. President Biden, on the other hand, has rarely spoken about crypto but did sign an executive order in 2022 to create a regulatory framework for digital assets.
Trump’s announcement comes as the jury in his New York criminal trial gets ready for deliberations next week. The former president has been attending court in Manhattan for allegedly falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels. He also faces charges in Georgia and D.C. for allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 election results, and in Florida for mishandling classified documents.
Back in 2021, Trump called Bitcoin a “scam” and expressed his preference for the U.S. dollar as the world’s currency. However, digital asset policies have been a hot topic among his rivals, with figures like Vivek Ramaswamy and Ron DeSantis making statements about central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). Trump himself has said he would never allow a CBDC in the U.S.
Interestingly, political action committees (PACs) supporting Trump have been reportedly covering some of his legal expenses. In recent months, he has faced multiple legal challenges, including a $355 million disgorgement order for fraud, an $83 million defamation lawsuit, and a $5 million damages verdict for sexual assault and defamation.
Stay tuned for more updates as this story develops!
