On June 8, 2020, Bitcoin.com sat down with Joanne Jorgensen, the 2020 Libertarian Party nominee for president. Jorgensen, the party's first female candidate, is a firm believer in free markets and civil liberties. In the interview, she discussed a wide range of topics including Bitcoin, the Federal Reserve, endless wars, and drug policy.
Bitcoin and Monetary Freedom
Jorgensen strongly supports free competition in currency. Citing the Libertarian Party platform, she said: “We favor free-market banking with unrestricted competition among banks and depository institutions of all types. Individuals engaged in voluntary exchange should be free to use as money any mutually agreeable commodity or item.” She argues that the U.S. dollar should not have a legal tender monopoly, and she would repeal taxes on gold, silver, and repeal the prohibition on coining money. “People should be able to use Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in trade, just as they can choose any commodity,” she emphasized. She plans to enact Ron Paul's Free Competition in Currency Act, repeal the Bank Secrecy Act and Know-Your-Customer (KYC) laws to protect financial privacy.
The Federal Reserve and Inflation
Jorgensen was critical of the Federal Reserve, calling it “a system that should never have been created.” She argued that the Fed exacerbates economic crises and creates money out of thin air, imposing a “hidden tax” that erodes retirees' purchasing power. As president, she would first audit the Fed and eventually abolish it. “We need a monetary system that is predictable, not one controlled by the whims of Congress and the Fed chair,” she said. She favors a return to a gold standard or allowing the market to choose its own money.
Pardon Ross Ulbricht
Addressing the crypto community, Jorgensen promised to pardon Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road. She believes Ulbricht is serving multiple life sentences for nonviolent offenses, partly because Silk Road users traded with Bitcoin, and that this sentence is excessive. She would also appoint CFTC and SEC commissioners who would deregulate Bitcoin and other crypto-assets, and instruct the Treasury Department to leave crypto operations alone.
Ending Endless Wars and Police Reform
Jorgensen advocates turning the U.S. into “one big giant Switzerland” — armed and neutral. She noted that the U.S. spends three times more on its military than the next largest spender, and could cut spending by two-thirds and still have the largest military on Earth. She argued that endless wars make America less safe, citing how Osama bin Laden used U.S. military presence in the Middle East to recruit followers. On police reform, she said ending the drug war at the federal level would reduce the “us vs. them” mentality and stop the militarization of local police.
Breaking the Two-Party Duopoly
Jorgensen criticized both Democrats and Republicans as “big government” parties. She recalled that in 1996, third-party candidates were shut out of debates by the Democrat- and Republican-controlled Debate Commission. Now, her campaign is seeing a surge of volunteers, many of whom are not even Libertarians. She urged voters not to waste their vote on candidates they don't want, but to vote for genuine change by supporting the Libertarian Party.
Jorgensen's platform aligns closely with Bitcoin's decentralized, anti-monopoly ethos, offering crypto enthusiasts a distinct political choice.