Donald Trump uses Bitcoin to buy burgers at NYC bar

Republican Party presidential nominee Donald Trump appeared in a New York City bar and restaurant famous for accepting Bitcoin, becoming the first former US president to use the cryptocurrency in a transaction. 

According to a Sept. 18 X post by Pubkey, Trump used Bitcoin (BTC) to purchase hamburgers at the NYC bar. BTC advocate and Professional Capital Management CEO Anthony Pompliano was in attendance at the campaign stop, which was also reported on Trump’s Truth Social account. 

The event came less than two days after the Republican nominee announced the launch of a token through the World Liberty Financial crypto platform, run by members of his family. Despite once calling Bitcoin a “scam” and crypto “based on thin air,” Trump has advocated for BTC miners as part of his 2024 campaign and spoken at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville.

Pubkey’s marketing staff would not confirm over Telegram whether the BTC transaction was completed on the Lightning Network. A video showed Trump purchasing at least a dozen hamburgers, which he handed out to attendees, calling them “crypto burgers.”

Related: Some pro-crypto Trumpers suggest he ‘lost their votes’ after token launch

Trump reportedly holds at least $1 million in crypto. Former US President Bill Clinton has also held Bitcoin, given to him at a 2016 event.

48 days until US Election

The Republican candidate claimed he “had a real chance at winning” New York’s electoral votes in November, despite Democratic candidates winning every election since 1988. An August ActiVote poll showed Vice President Kamala Harris had a 16-point lead over Trump in the state.

Unlike Trump, Vice President Harris has not made crypto part of her campaign. Experts have speculated that she was unlikely to significantly distance herself from the Biden administration’s policies on crypto and blockchain.

One of Harris’ senior advisers said in August that the US Vice President would “support policies” for the industry’s growth. Future Forward, a political action committee supporting the Democratic presidential candidate, accepts contributions in cryptocurrency.

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