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Coin Geek
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Coin Geek
Political activist Steven Nekhaila on Bitcoin, liberty
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... On this week's episode of the CoinGeek Weekly Livestream, Libertarian Party Chair Steven Nekhaila joined Kurt Wuckert Jr. to talk about his journey into libertarianism, what the ideology is all about, and how Bitcoin can change the world and help preserve liberty. title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen=""> How Nekhaila became a libertarian Nekhaila says his journey into libertarianism started early when he read the Creature of Jekyll Island . He had always been curious about central banking, but through reading extensively, he learned how the Federal Reserve funds the entire government, including the war machine and welfare state. Eventually, he joined the Libertarian Party and has been on the Libertarian National Committee since 2015. He has also been interested in digital currencies since 2014 and was involved in Ultimate Coin and mining in the early days. Back then, everything was different—the industry was still firmly in its Wild West era. Even back then, Nekhaila was interested in the ideology of Bitcoin in addition to the utility. Most are focused on speculation, but that's secondary to him. What is libertarianism? Wuckert opens this section with a caricature of what those who hold mainstream political views think: aren't libertarians just Republicans who are gay and/or like to smoke weed? He asks what the purpose of the party is. The Libertarian Party has existed since 1972, Nekhaila says. It started as a way to push the ideology, which can be summarized as 'don't hit people and don't take their stuff.' Libertarians believe the government should exist to defend life, right, and property and that it should leave people alone. In no way, shape, or form should it promote any given ideology, and it shouldn't tax one individual to fund another. The ideology is growing, and the Party has won some power at the local level already. Did the Libertarian Party back Donald Trump for President? Not officially, Nekhaila says. However, for all his faults, Trump did promise to free Ross Ulbricht, and he came through. He has also given a lot of liberty to the digital currency industry. Bitcoin and ideology As BTC just hit a new all-time high and global uncertainty rises, Nekhaila states his position on its future: it will continue to rise, and people will become more interested in what it is and its ultimate utility. Wuckert explains his own Bitcoin journey; he first got involved in 2012 and has seen BTC evolve from a free market currency into a traditional finance (TradFi) asset. What was once a rebel currency designed to back frictionless commerce is now a Wall Street plaything backed by the likes of Larry Fink. He wants to know Nekhaila's take on this. The Libertarian Party Chair says he isn't sure there's a legit use-case for digital currencies long-term, but he hopes there is. In addition to Bitcoin, he has always been supportive of altcoins, and he hopes at least some of them continue to exist. He agrees the ideology around Bitcoin has changed a lot in the last 10 years, but he believes all of this is still in its adolescence. It has been and will continue to be disruptive. Roger Ver and political dissidents Roger Ver was an early Bitcoiner and venture capitalist who gave a lot back. He resisted the takeover of Bitcoin during the block size wars, and he believes Bitcoin must do something other than exist. Ver wrote Hijacking Bitcoin to explain how Bitcoin was subverted. The book blew up, and shortly thereafter, Ver was arrested. Wuckert wants to know what stance the Libertarian Party takes on Ver. Nekhaila states it clearly: the Party wants to see political dissidents like Ver go free. He believes Ver flew too close to the sun and promoted ideas that are a threat to U.S. Dollar hegemony. A free market currency is a threat, and anyone who gets in the way of USD global dominance tends to meet a sorry end. To learn more about how Libertarianism is growing, the rise of orthodoxy in society, and why liberty matters, check out the livestream episode here. Watch: History of Bitcoin with Kurt Wuckert Jr. title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="">
The Herald Scotland
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Donald Trump says he's not worried about Elon Musk's third party
Musk announced the formation of "the American Party" on July 5 after his vocal opposition to Trump's so-called "big, beautiful bill" over debt concerns didn't sway any Republican lawmakers to vote against the bill. Musk, a former White House adviser who has turned into a top Trump foe, said the new party will "fight the Republican/Democrat Uniparty," arguing that "when it comes to bankrupting our country" both Democrats and Republicans are the same. In the 2024 presidential election, Trump allies worked to boost third party candidates Jill Stein of the Green Party, Cornel West and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (before Kennedy bowed out to endorse Trump) to peel off votes from Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee. More: 'Train wreck': Trump slams Musk after billionaire announces new political party It's unclear how far Musk is willing to go to mount a third party that can be viable in future elections. Although he's the word's richest man, Musk would face a labyrinth of different qualifying rules to field candidates in all 50 states during the 2026 congressional midterm elections. And Musk - despised by many on the left and now seemingly a Trump foe - would need to recruit candidates to a party that lacks a clear agenda. Other recent third parties in the United States, including the Libertarian Party and the Green Party, have not won any congressional seats. The last third-party presidential candidate to mount a serious threat for the White House was Ross Perot, who in 1992 won 19% of the popular votes but carried no states as an independent. Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
The Hill
08-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
3 big questions about Elon Musk's third party
While Republicans are largely dismissing billionaire Elon Musk's pledge to create an 'America Party' for now, he could pose headaches for the GOP in the midterms if he sticks with building a new third party. There are big questions about the lasting influence of the billionaire's latest whim, though — and plenty of skeptics of the America Party gaining any staying power or meaningful influence, with President Trump among them. What's the platform? Will anyone support it? And could it spoil GOP candidates in the midterms? For the sake of analysis, I'm assuming that Musk — who only got heavily involved in national electoral politics last year — will actually go through with forming a new party. (It hasn't formally been created yet; Musk said a screenshot of one Federal Election Commission filing that circulated over the weekend is inauthentic.) Musk's zealous opposition to rising national debt is one factor fueling his idea for a third party. And even in the last few days, Musk has responded approvingly on the social platform X, which he owns, to content from and about libertarian-leaning politicians such as Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Argentinian President Javier Milei, and he's reposted pro-libertarian content. Could there be, then, a coalition formed with the existing Libertarian Party? 'We would definitely be open to talking to the America Party about a coalition, because we do have ballot access in the most states,' Libertarian Party National Committee Chair Steven Nekhaila told me — adding that many libertarians are disappointed in Trump despite supporting him in 2024. Aside from Musk's desire to resolve the national debt, here is what we can glean about the America Party's platform based on Musk's posts: It would embrace Bitcoin. It would support gun rights, with Musk saying 'the Second Amendment is sacred.' Musk shared a post saying it would support free speech, support tech innovation, lessen energy regulation and support 'pronatalist' policies aimed at increasing the birth rate. But Musk has also indicated the party might be more centrist, saying the 'America Party is the solution' in response to a post arguing centrism is now considered radical. And if candidates are in support of green energy tax incentives — such as the kind Musk opposed the rollback of in the 'big, beautiful bill' — that could conflict with the Libertarian Party's principles. There has long been broad support for a third major party, reaching a high of 63 percent support in a 2023 Gallup survey before dipping back to 58 percent in 2024. But it's not clear the ideas being pushed by Musk could capture that broad group. CNN's Harry Enten calculated that voters who like Musk and dislike the GOP add up to a whopping 4 percent. And Musk's signature project in the Trump administration, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), became politically toxic. A March 2025 Fox News poll found that 58 percent of voters disapproved of the job Musk did with DOGE. 'Elon claims that they're fighting over the 80% of people who don't necessarily agree with Republicans or Democrats. And while I do think that's a worthwhile endeavor, I think it's also important to point out that the moderates are also the least loyal in terms of who they vote for,' the Libertarian Party's Nekhaila said. 'So unless they come out with a strong platform that's more of a populist type platform, it's hard to say what their constituents are going to look like.' So far, Republicans aren't taking Musk's America Party threats seriously. Asked about Musk's America Party threatening GOP candidates, one GOP strategist texted: 'HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.' Another GOP strategist said that national Republicans are not aren't seeing it as a serious problem, expecting that the base of voters loyal to Trump would lock out any serious challenge. Musk-backed candidates don't have to have a real shot at winning to give Republicans headaches, though. In 2024, for instance, Republicans largely saw Libertarian Party candidates as spoiling some races. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) won by 0.64 percentage points, while the Libertarian candidate in that race earned 4.1 percent support; Rep. Don Davis (D-N.C.) won by 1.7 points, while the Libertarian candidate earned 2.6 percent support. And Musk is eyeing the midterms, where he could complicate competitive races. 'Backing a candidate for president is not out of the question, but the focus for the next 12 months is on the House and the Senate,' he said Sunday in a post on X. 'Elon's time would be better spent going to Mars, advancing Starlink, Neuralink, and making fast cars. Not giving Democrats an edge,' the first GOP strategist said. 'It's a move that would massively backfire on him. After all it was Democrats who torched his Tesla dealerships when they got mad at him a few months ago. Why reward bad behavior with even more power?' But if Musk is going to go through with creating an actual new party infrastructure rather than supporting independent or other minor-party candidates, there are a lot of time-consuming and expensive steps that he has to take: collecting signatures to create his party and win ballot access, with requirements different in every state; recruiting candidates; beating back likely lawsuits from the major parties challenging ballot access. Musk brushed off those logistical challenges. 'Not hard tbh,' he posted. Further reading: Can Elon's America Party succeed where others have failed? From Nate Silver Welcome to The Movement, a weekly newsletter looking at the influences and debates on the right in Washington. I'm Emily Brooks, House leadership reporter at The Hill. Tell me what's on your radar: ebrooks@ Not already on the list? Subscribe here Massie's rhetorical ceasefire negotiations with Trump Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) wants a rhetorical ceasefire with President Trump — and while he was initially optimistic the president would stop attacking him, he might not be in the clear. My colleagues Mychael Schnell and Mike Lillis scooped last week that in the wee hours of the morning, as a group of Republicans held up Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' of tax cut and spending priorities, Trump spoke to a group of holdouts who were preventing the bill from advancing. Massie, one of those who was a 'no' on the procedural vote to tee up the bill, suggested he would flip his vote and allow the bill to go forward if Trump — who has called for Massie to be defeated in 2026 over his opposition to the bill — agreed to stop attacking him. Massie flipped on the procedural vote but voted 'no' on the underlying bill. Immediately after the vote, Massie exclusively told me that he was optimistic about his relationship with Trump. 'The president and I had a cordial conversation last night. It turns out we communicate a lot better over the phone than we do on Twitter,' Massie said. 'I think we're going to work better together going forward, and out of respect to the president, I would let him characterize the phone call.' So, is there a truce? White House officials didn't get back to me or my colleagues when we asked if Trump committed to stop attacking Massie in exchange for his flip on the procedural vote. But maybe Massie shouldn't be so optimistic after all. Later in the evening, after the bill passed, Trump on Truth Social shared a polling memo from his pollster John McLaughlin that found Massie 'would lose to 'a candidate who is a staunch supporter of President Trump and the America First Agenda' 53% to 19%.' Influencers rage at Epstein memo After an internal review, Trump's Department of Justice said in a memo that now-deceased financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein actually did kill himself, releasing prison surveillance footage to back up its claim; that here is no 'client list' or evidence he blackmailed prominent individuals; and that it would not disclose any further material about the case. 'One of our highest priorities is combatting child exploitation and bringing justice to victims. Perpetuating unfounded theories about Epstein serves neither of those ends,' the memo said. Right-wing influencers who have long pushed Epstein conspiracy theories are furious. They're pointing back to Attorney General Pam Bondi months ago suggesting that the list was 'sitting on my desk for review.' 'Was she lying then or is she lying now?' filmmaker Robby Starbuck posted. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that Bondi was referring to all the paperwork relating to Epstein. 'Independent journalist' Breanna Morello quipped: 'If no 'client list' exists, Ghislaine Maxwell should be released. Allow her to speak. I bet they won't!' And influencer Mike Cernovich warned: 'No one is believing the Epstein coverup, @realDonaldTrump. This will be part of your legacy. There's still time to change it!' Read more from my colleague Miriam Waldvogel: MAGA influencers fume over DOJ's Epstein memo. Read here. On my calendar Three more things What I'm reading
Axios
08-07-2025
- Business
- Axios
Musk's America Party has helpers — and challenges
Elon Musk 's push to form a new political party is fielding offers for help from Andrew Yang 's Forward Party, the Libertarian Party and several consultants, Axios has learned. "I'm in touch with Elon and his team, and I've said to them, 'Look, anyone who wants to challenge the duopoly has a friend in me,' " Yang said in an interview with Axios. Why it matters: Musk has said he wants his America Party to be a political disruptor in the 2026 midterms — a likely outlet for the billionaire's push to cut the nation's runaway debt and boost sustainable energy. And, perhaps, strike back at President Trump and those Republican lawmakers who left Musk feeling betrayed by backing Trump's "big beautiful bill," which is projected to balloon the nation's deficits by more than $3 trillion over the next decade. Zoom in: So far, Musk's plans are mostly all talk — a germ of an idea to target a few members of Congress. Creating a third party in U.S. politics isn't easy, and requires an organization that's able to gather the signatures of thousands of voters in a state just to get on a ballot. Musk, who sank well over $200 million into backing Trump and Republicans last year, has the money to do that. Then there's the question of which voters and candidates would be willing to stand with Musk. He has a history of erratic behavior — and polls indicate he's alienated voters on both sides of the spectrum by cozying up to Trump, leading DOGE, and then bitterly breaking with Trump. But Monday, there were indications that other third parties might be willing to align with Musk. Yang said he might help Musk recruit candidates in the House districts where Musk is looking to challenge incumbents. Yang's Forward Party — founded in 2021, after his unsuccessful run in the Democratic presidential primary the year before — now has 46 elected officials representing the party. "Right now they're in learning mode," Yang said of Musk and his team. Musk "could make a third-party effort immediately viable, and that changes the game," said Ron Nielson, who managed Gary Johnson's Libertarian campaign for president in 2016 and said he would consider working for Musk's party. No Labels, an organization that considered trying to run an independent presidential candidate in 2024, is also intrigued by Musk's interest in creating a new governing coalition in Congress, according to a representative from the group. The Libertarian Party, meanwhile, is lobbying Musk where he lives — on X, his social media platform — urging him to join Libertarians over a shared interest of fiscal responsibility and concern about the deficit. The Libertarian Party has the most ballot access of the minor parties and regularly has candidates for offices at all levels of government. "Perhaps there is grounds for a coalition between the Libertarians and the America Party to run pro-liberty, small-government, fiscally conservative candidates against the Republicans, who have proven that they cannot be trusted," party chair Steven Nekhaila said. "There's many billionaires and very wealthy, rich, iconic people that have tried, but none of them have been successful" in third-party politics, Nekhaila said. Representatives for Musk didn't respond to a request for comment. Zoom out: State laws govern ballot access, and "the laws in each state tend to be very complex and arcane, and they are enforced by partisan election officials," said Oliver Hall, founder and executive director for the Center for Competitive Democracy. "If the partisan election officials are not disposed to want you on the ballot, then they can enforce them in somewhat arbitrary ways." Hall, whose organization helps all non-major party candidates navigate ballot access and litigation, has dealt with the numerous — and often frivolous — lawsuits filed by Democratic and GOP operatives to stifle third parties. One lawsuit against independent candidate Cornel West in 2024 aimed to keep West off the ballot in Wisconsin because his two-page candidate declaration wasn't stapled together, Hall said. "That's the kind of thing they will come after you for if they don't want you on the ballot," he said. In some states, it's harder for a new party to get on the ballot for a congressional race than a presidential election, said ballot access expert Richard Winger, who runs Ballot Access News. Between the lines: The third-party consulting and petitioning world is niche, but many people are motivated to expand voters' choices so Musk shouldn't struggle to find experts willing to work with him, several consultants told Axios. Being the world's richest person also will help Musk — where there's money, there are consultants and advisers. But Musk and his team will have to find the right team members, political veterans said. "I guarantee you every grifter in the petitioning world is already trying to get their claws into Musk," one third-party ballot access consultant told Axios.
CBC
07-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad faces criticism from several sides amid review
Dave Sharkey still remembers how he felt about the future of the Conservative Party of B.C. when he was part of the delegation that marched in the 2022 Aldergrove Christmas Light Up Parade. "There were only four of us," Sharkey said. "Two of us were holding the banner, and the other two were handing out candy canes. But the reception was actually surprisingly positive, and it was a kind of experience that led me to believe that in terms of our political ambitions, we were on the right track." Sharkey, a party member since 2017 and a former provincial candidate for the Libertarian Party, now thinks the Conservatives are on the wrong track. His conclusion comes despite the B.C. Conservatives coming within a whisker of forming government in October 2024 when 912,000 residents voted for the party that had just under 36,000 votes in the 2020 election. Sharkey said he blames the same man others credit for reviving a party that once polled at two per cent: Opposition Leader John Rustad. The party's direction and identity are at the heart of a dispute that set off the departure of three members of the legislature and arguments among riding associations. Should it be populist or moderate? Big tent or small? It also comes as party members review Rustad's leadership in accordance with the party's constitution. Rustad became the leader a month after joining the party in March 2023. He had been with the B.C. Liberals since 2005, but was kicked out in 2022 by then-leader Kevin Falcon. WATCH | Rustad faces scheduled leadership review: B.C. Conservative leader to face scheduled leadership review amid infighting 13 days ago Duration 3:05 Relations between the rivals then reversed in August 2024, when Falcon suspended the election campaign of his party, rebranded as B.C. United, following the defections of members to the Conservatives. Now, Sharkey said, the Conservatives have become a rebranded version of Rustad's old party. There was no appetite from the members to be that big-tent party, he said. "There is an appetite from the members to remain a grassroots party, and if Mr. Rustad wants to be a big tent, start a big-tent party." Sharkey, who considers himself the riding association president in Abbotsford-Mission, said he believes Rustad's changes cost the Conservatives the election win. The party's executive director, Angelo Isidorou, said in a statement Monday that Sharkey is neither a member nor a riding association president. Domenic Cinalli describes himself as an early supporter and one-time close confidant of Rustad, but said he doesn't like the direction Rustad has taken the party. "He has abandoned what we all stood for," Cinalli said. "He's abandoned the strong stances that we had, and it wasn't just John who brought us there. It was all the volunteers and the people who were out there fighting tooth and nail." Cinalli said he's disappointed that the party changed directions on reconciliation with First Nations and Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity programming. "They have gone more mediocre, more to the middle," said Cinalli, who is no longer a party member. But for others, the Conservative tent isn't big enough. Ryan Beedie, a prominent Vancouver businessman, said in a social media post last month that the Conservatives will need to "rebrand to something more inclusive" if they wish to appeal to "centrist voters" just as the Social Credit Party or the B.C. Liberals did in the past. A months-long leadership review is underway amid allegations from Rustad that three former Conservative MLAs — Tara Armstrong, Dallas Brodie and Jordan Kealy — "blackmailed" Conservative staff. Rustad first made the allegation in a letter to his caucus without naming the MLAs directly. All three have denied the claims and have instead accused Rustad of using the allegations to distract from questions about his leadership. While Rustad has since expressed regret for using the term blackmail, his critics have seized on it. Beedie said Rustad's allegations raise questions about his leadership, and the party should use the review to move toward the middle. WATCH | B.C. Conservative leader's letter alleges blackmail: B.C. Conservative leader's letter alleges blackmail by ex-members 20 days ago Duration 10:04 In a letter leaked to media on Monday, B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad alleges that a group of legislators who left his party are threatening to release texts and messages to intimidate members of his caucus. It comes after two Conservative defectors formed the OneBC party. Tim Thielmann, the chief of staff for the OneBC leader, called the allegations a desperate attempt by Rustad to cling to power. "Hopefully, this [review] is a positive step toward the B.C. Conservatives getting their house in order and shifting their political strategy to a more centrist approach. They will need to do so, or the B.C. NDP will be staying in power for the foreseeable future." UBC political science lecturer Stewart Prest said the Conservatives consist of a "populist" wing and a moderate wing, and the current riding-by-riding leadership vote could make for a "messy summer" with Rustad facing pressure from both sides. "We are already hearing rumblings of challenges from both camps, so I don't know if it is an either-or situation," Prest said, when asked which faction was more likely to challenge Rustad for leadership. A central source of criticism concerns the handling of the party's last annual general meeting held in March. The "Team Rustad" slate swept elections for the party's board of directors. Delegates also approved amendments to the party's constitution as proposed by Rustad. But not everybody has accepted the results, including Armstrong, Brodie and Kealy. In May, they alleged Rustad and his team "rigged" the meeting that endorsed the board, claiming it was stacked with South Asian supporters paid "to vote the way Mr. Rustad wanted." Brodie and Armstrong have since gone on to form their own party, One B.C. Its chief of staff is Tim Thielmann, a former Conservative candidate in Victoria-Beacon Hill. The allegations surrounding the AGM received another airing last month when 50-plus signatories describing themselves as "executive members or former executive members" of riding associations called on Estey to launch an external audit of the AGM. Rustad has denied any wrongdoing at the meeting. "I have been advised by our legal counsel and experts, who were present to scrutinize the voting process, that our AGM was 100 per cent in line with this party's 2024-2025 constitution," he said in the letter containing the blackmail allegations against the three former Conservative MLAs. Rustad said in an interview last month that critics like Sharkey and others "want this party to be something that it is not." "I have said this all the way through the campaign, and I don't know why people haven't heard it — it's not about being Conservative or Liberal, or NDP, or Green. It's just standing for what's right and fighting for the average everyday people. That is the party that we have built," Rustad said. Gavin Dew, B.C. Conservative MLA for Kelowna-Mission, said the current party "has had incredible success in building a new voter coalition" that includes many more young voters and more voters from different cultural communities. "We have made incredible strides with blue-collar voters," Dew added. "We do incredibly well with suburban voters. So, we have made all this progress, but it is clear that we still need to win over those incremental voters, which I would say is that middle-of-the-road voter." If the party holds its current coalition together and adds more "economically oriented voters" from the middle of the spectrum to this coalition, Conservatives can hold government for "multiple terms," Dew said in an interview. Prest is more skeptical. While strong poll numbers now and victory down the line might entice both wings of the Conservatives to put aside their differences, "there isn't really a stable policy compromise that would make both of those sides happy" in the long term, he said. "In some really important ways, the divides between populist and more middle-of-the-road Conservatives are deeper than the divides between middle-of-the-road Conservatives and NDP, " Prest said.
