First US Presidential debate planned for June 27 — Will crypto be on the agenda?

As an analyst with a background in political science and experience in technology policy, I believe that the upcoming debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in June 2024 could be significant for the crypto community, given the growing importance of digital assets and their potential impact on economic and financial policies.


In June 2024, Joe Biden and Donald Trump, the presumed frontrunners for the United States Presidency, will engage in their initial confrontation since their last election, in a presidential debate.

In a post on May 15th, President Biden announced that he had accepted CNN’s invitation for a presidential debate against former President Trump on June 27th. He encouraged Trump to confirm his participation as well. Previously, Trump had indicated through a statement on Truth Social that he was prepared and eager to engage in a debate with Biden before that date.

Trump is scheduled to attend a criminal trial as a defendant in a New York courtroom over hush money payments to an adult film star and business record falsifications related to the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. However, the judge handling the case has commitments on Wednesdays which may delay the proceedings. It remains uncertain if his other criminal cases in Washington D.C., Florida, and Georgia could interfere with the scheduled June debate.

If it becomes a reality, the debates would take place prior to either Trump or President Biden officially securing their parties’ nominations for the U.S. Presidency. The Democratic National Convention is scheduled for August, while the Republican National Convention is planned for July. Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., currently lagging behind both President Biden and Trump in the polls, expressed his frustration, stating that he had been “left out” of the debate.

As an analyst, I’ve noticed that during their bids for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination, Vivek Ramaswamy and Ron DeSantis frequently brought up crypto-related matters and central bank digital currencies in their campaigns. Most recently, on May 8, Trump addressed a gathering of supporters who had bought his non-fungible tokens, expressing a positive outlook towards cryptocurrencies in the US. However, it’s important to mention that Trump has previously expressed skepticism towards digital currencies like Bitcoin, labeling them as scams.

As a researcher studying political dynamics related to cryptocurrencies, I’ve noticed an intriguing development: Some lawmakers and industry leaders who are generally supportive of President Biden have expressed concern about the potential impact of his administration’s actions on crypto-focused voters in the upcoming 2024 elections. They argue that recent moves by regulatory bodies like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), such as filing enforcement actions against crypto firms, could be perceived as hostile to the digital asset community. Additionally, Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren’s public criticisms of cryptocurrencies through legislation and statements have further fueled this perception.

First US Presidential debate planned for June 27 — Will crypto be on the agenda?

Despite President Biden seldomly addressing digital assets himself, he has wielded his power to obstruct legislation and initiatives that the crypto community often disagrees with. On May 8, when the House of Representatives were deliberating on a joint resolution aimed at reversing an SEC rule regarding banks’ handling of cryptocurrencies, President Biden declared his intention to veto this measure. The resolution gained approval in the House with the backing of 21 Democratic representatives and is now moving forward to the Senate.

The most recent encounter between President Biden and Trump occurred at Case Western Reserve University in September 2020 for the initial U.S. presidential debate. Subsequently, Mark Meadows, Trump’s ex-chief of staff, revealed in his publication that Trump had received a COVID-19 diagnosis around that time but kept the information concealed.

As a researcher looking into the topic of cryptocurrency and blockchain discourse during the 2020 U.S. presidential debates between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, I found that neither candidate raised these issues during their two encounters. At the point when I published my findings, Joe Biden’s campaign website did not have a dedicated ‘issues’ page outlining his policy positions. Conversely, Trump’s website did include his economic stance, but there was no mention of digital assets or related technologies such as cryptocurrency and blockchain.

“A significant number of cryptocurrency holders may act based on just one issue during the upcoming presidential election, and there’s a risk of losing their support,” stated Democratic Representative Wiley Nickel in a May 11 post.

During the upcoming debates between the major U.S. Presidential candidates on June 27 and September 10, it’s uncertain if cryptocurrency will be discussed, as neither candidate has clearly defined positions on the technology at this time. The United States’ Election Day is scheduled for November 5.

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2024-05-15 23:35