Former U.S. President Donald Trump says bitcoin is an āadditional form of currency,ā emphasizing that the crypto has taken on a life of its own. He also lets people pay for his merchandise with cryptocurrencies. āThere has been a lot of use of that, and Iām not sure that Iād want to take it away at this point,ā Trump said.
Donald Trump Sees Bitcoin as a Form of Currency
Presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump shared his perspective on bitcoin in an interview with CNBC on Monday.
When asked how he views crypto, Trump reiterated: āWell, itās taken [on] its own life.ā He added: āI do little things sometimes for fun, and ⦠make money with it but I have fun with it too.ā He was referring to his sneaker sale.
His response prompted CNBC anchor Joe Kernen to ask: āYou mean, you bought bitcoin?ā The former president replied: āNo, no, no, but I sometimes will let people pay through bitcoin, or will let people get involved in a new [currency].ā He continued:
If you think of it, itās an additional form of currency.
Trump added: āI used to say ⦠I want one currency, I want the dollar. I donāt want people leaving the dollar and I feel that way, but I will tell you, it [bitcoin] has taken on a life.ā
He proceeded to share the success of his ālimited-edition sneakerā sales. āWe did a thousand sneakers ⦠and you could go through ⦠our crazy new currencies because thatās what I call them. Theyāre crazy āwhether itās bitcoin or others.ā
The former U.S. president added: āSo many people were buying these things ⦠The last pair sold for $450,000, people were going crazy for these sneakers ⦠Every friend I have was calling me for a pair of sneakers. So it just took off.ā
Trump noted: āAnd I noticed that so many of them were paid for with the new currency, itās a new cryptocurrency, and I couldnāt believe the amount.ā Bitcoin News recently reported that Trumpās crypto portfolio has seen substantial growth due to the rising value of ether (ETH) and maga (TRUMP) coins. Regarding crypto, Trump shared with the news outlet:
I have seen, there has been a lot of use of that, and Iām not sure that Iād want to take it away at this point.
Nonetheless, Trump stressed: āIām very much a traditionalist. I like staying with the dollar, you know, make the dollar the choice. I hate when countries go off the dollar.ā The former U.S. president emphasized:
I would not allow countries to go off the dollar because when we lose that standard, that will be like losing a revolutionary war.
He warned that the U.S. dollar losing its status as the worldās reserve currency āwill be a hit to our country just like losing a war and we canāt let that happen and too many countries now are fighting to get off the dollar.ā
Many people on social media interpret Trumpās comments as a sign of his bullishness toward bitcoin and a suggestion that he may not take a harsh stance on crypto if he returns to the White House. Trumpās stance on bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies has evolved since his time as President, when he stated that they are ānot moneyā and their value is ābased on thin airā and highly volatile. He has also launched several non-fungible token (NFT) collections, and his crypto holdings from the sale proceeds have seen substantial gains.
Last month, Trump said: āMore and more Iām seeing people wanting to pay [in] bitcoin ⦠so I can live with it one way or the other.ā Moreover, he has promised to stop the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC) if he is elected president, calling it āa dangerous threat to freedom.ā#trumpcoin #TrumpCrypto #TrumpSupportsCrypto #BTCā #USRateCutExpected $BTC
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