Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a presidential candidate accepting Bitcoin donations, echoed rival Donald Trump's stance against developing a U.S. central bank digital currency (CBDC).

On Jan. 24, Kennedy discussed CBDC threats in a media segment, sharing a clip of his conversation with alternative medicine advocate Joseph Mercola.

In the video, Kennedy criticized CBDCs, warning of government surveillance and potential abuses:

“It [a CBDC] is a calamity for human rights and for civil rights.”

He cited China's digital yuan and its connection to their social credit system as a concern among U.S. politicians.

A 2023 Chainalysis report also raised privacy concerns regarding China's digital yuan.

Kennedy pledged to halt CBDC efforts and preserve paper cash if elected, noting Bitcoin's superiority in protection compared to cash.

Donald Trump has also promised to oppose CBDCs. While Trump previously criticized Bitcoin, his former Republican rivals Vivek Ramaswamy and Ron DeSantis have shown pro-crypto and anti-CBDC sentiments.

Kennedy, having left the Democratic Party in October 2023, is considering running as a Libertarian due to the challenges of independent candidacy.

Sources:

https://cointelegraph.com/news/robert-f-kennedy-jr-end-cbdc

https://twitter.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1750171491142906175

https://twitter.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1750171491142906175

https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/central-bank-digital-currencies-cbdc/

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4433594-rfk-jr-signals-open-running-as-libertarian-2024/