Donald Trump Vows to Fire SEC Chair on First Day if Re-elected, Courts Crypto Voters at Bitcoin 2024 Event

Former President Donald Trump made headlines at the Bitcoin 2024 event in Nashville, Tennessee, where he declared his intentions to fire the chairperson of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on his first day back in office if re-elected as president. Trump’s speech at the cryptocurrency event was met with cheers and chants of his name from the audience.

During his 45-minute speech, Trump outlined his plans to make the US the cryptocurrency capital of the world, a stark contrast to his previous comments calling Bitcoin a “scam” in 2021. He also proposed creating a “national Bitcoin stockpile” and appointing a Bitcoin and crypto presidential advisory council.

The former president emphasized the need for power to mine cryptocurrency, stating that he would build power plants using fossil fuels to meet the demand. Trump also highlighted his campaign’s acceptance of cryptocurrency donations, revealing that he had received $25 million in donations in just two months since allowing crypto transactions.

Trump framed cryptocurrency regulation as a partisan issue, accusing the Biden administration of being “anti-crypto”. His speech was attended by several Republican lawmakers, including Senators Tim Scott and Tommy Tuberville, as well as tech leaders like the Winklevoss twins and Tesla founder Elon Musk, who have endorsed Trump.

The event also featured speeches from Democratic Party lawmakers, including Wiley Nickel and Ro Khanna, who emphasized Vice President Kamala Harris’s support for digital assets and blockchain technology. Overall, Trump’s appearance at Bitcoin 2024 highlighted the growing influence of cryptocurrency in politics and the tech community.