Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Gets Mixed Reviews On Social Media For Proposal To Put The U.S. Budget On Blockchain

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. received wildly mixed feedback on social media for his proposal to put the United States budget on blockchain to make government spending more transparent.

“I’m gonna put the entire U.S. budget on blockchain,” Kennedy declared during a campaign rally in Michigan. “Every American can look at every budget item in the entire budget, anytime they want, 24 hours a day. We’re gonna have 300 million eyeballs on our budget. And if somebody is spending $16,000 for a toilet seat, everybody’s gonna know about it.”

A blockchain is a ledger of transactions used with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum. Many governments have implemented blockchain technology worldwide. 

His idea received a range of reactions from users on X.

“[Americans] being able to see how their money is spent would be transformational,” the user @Levi_LCL wrote in an X post.

Some members of the cryptocurrency community claim that this plan would end corruption.

“THIS ALONE is a reason I will vote for RFKjr,” @AlanMyron wrote. “It will break my heart if [Tulsi Gabbard] is chosen as V.P. with [Donald Trump], but putting the entire U.S. budget on blockchain would be transformative. I don’t believe in silver bullets, but this is as close as one gets to one.”

“Ok… I am all in #KennedyShanahan2024,” he added. “You took too long, President Trump. I cannot wait for you to be the 2016 version of yourself.”

Despite these promises, placing every government transaction on a blockchain could be a near-impossible undertaking.

Since the government is planning to spend nearly $3.8 trillion in 2024, the independent candidate would have a very steep slope to climb if his proposal is ever to be implemented.

Many X users were skeptical of Kennedy’s idea.

“Yeah, but how much would this cost (to get it right)? And what programs are gonna get cut to fund this?” the user @finiteBitcoin stated in one post. 

Those who criticize the idea also claim that the independent candidate is using the proposal to promote his central bank digital currency (CBDC) agenda. 

“Keep the government on blockchain but keep ‘we the people’ off it… hope what he’s talking about doesn’t lead to a CBDC Trojan horse,” @SillaViben mentioned in an X post.

Kennedy, a longtime advocate for cryptocurrency, previously expressed concerns about the launch of a CBDC in the U.S. in January. He described it as “a calamity for human rights and for civil rights.”

He also mentioned last year that he would accept campaign contributions in Bitcoin and that he had held up to $250,000 in the cryptocurrency.

Numerous missteps have shaken Kennedy’s campaign in recent days.

In early April, his campaign sent a fundraising email labeling the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot defendants as “activists.” The campaign later said the email was a “mistake.” 

Earlier this month, Kennedy disclosed that a worm had eaten part of his brain years ago.