During their 90-minute debate, Biden and Trump didn’t mention crypto, despite significant lobbying efforts, as they focused on the economy, abortion rights, immigration, foreign policy, and their mental capabilities.
Despite the fact that crypto lobbyists have raised millions of dollars this election cycle, United States President Joe Biden and presidential candidate Donald Trump did not mention crypto once during their 90-minute debate on Thursday.
The initial of two debates on June 27 that CNN hosted concentrated on the economic, immigration, abortion rights, and foreign policy strategies of each presidential candidate. It also briefly addressed their mental capabilities, as Biden, at 81, and Trump, at 78, are the eldest candidates to have ever run for president.
Despite the fact that a trio of crypto-backed super political action committees (PAC) raised $202.8 million from large industry sponsors and spent $93.6 million to influence the 2024 elections, crypto was not mentioned.
According to OpenSecrets, Fairshake PAC has raised $177.8 million and spent $70.8 million of it during the 2024 election cycle. The majority of this money was allocated to the financing of attack advertisements for Congressional candidates.
In this year’s elections, Protect Progress and Defend American Jobs, two other super PACs that are related, have collectively spent $22.8 million after raising $25 million.
The three super PACs have collectively raised the third-largest sum of money of any PAC. They are capable of accepting donations of any magnitude, but they are unable to directly coordinate with campaigns.
If elected, Trump has pledged to put an end to what he has referred to as Biden’s “war on crypto.” Earlier this month, he convened a meeting with Bitcoin miners, in which he expressed his desire for the cryptocurrency to be “made in America.”
However, certain industry professionals, including Kraken CEO Dave Ripley, assert that Biden is “softening up” regarding cryptocurrency. Others, such as crypto advocate Mark Cuban, assert that the chief of the nation’s securities regulator will “literally cost Joe Biden the election” as a result of the wave of crypto-related enforcement actions.”
The economy, inflation, weak governance, and immigration were the primary concerns of American voters, according to Gallup polls conducted last month, showing that crypto is not a top priority.
The independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was publicly pro-crypto, did not satisfy CNN’s eligibility criteria for participation in the debate. He alleged that the network “rigged the rules” and simultaneously hosted an alternative “real debate” on X.
Kennedy reiterated his April assertion that he would employ “AI and blockchain to eliminate waste in government to save more money” during the “debate,” which featured him alone on stage and subjected to queries.
According to a FiveThirtyEight poll conducted on June 27, Trump is currently leading Biden by a mere 0.2 percentage points in national polling, with 41.1% of the vote to the incumbent president’s 40.9%. Kennedy, on the other hand, is polling at 9% prior to the debate.
The second debate between Biden and Trump is scheduled for September 10.
The elections for the president, vice president, all 435 House seats, and 34 of the 100 Senate seats are scheduled for November 5.
