A trio of US senate hopefuls took to the stage at Bitcoin 2024 on Saturday, July 27, with the aim of touting their crypto-friendly policies in front of potential voters in Nashville.

The discussion was hosted by former US Representative David McIntosh, co-founder of conservative political groups the Federalist Society and Club for Growth.

Among the hopefuls were Bernie Moreno, the GOP nominee US senate in the Ohio race where incumbent Sherrod Brown has been installed since 2007, Sam Brown, running for US senate in Nevada against incumbent Jacky Rosen, and Detroit-born John Deaton who’s taking on Elizabeth Warren in the Massachusetts’ race.

A referendum on opponents’ views

The trio spent the majority of their time issuing staunch warnings about their opponents' intentions. Moreno kicked things off by calling out his opponent, Sherrod Brown, as “Elizabeth Warren’s useful idiot.” The senate hopeful said Brown “has no interest in understanding what Bitcoin is,” and added that US voters must “get rid of these people that want to die in office.”

Sam Brown, who went to West Point academy and became a US Army officer after 9/11, before being medically retired said voters should choose him because the US “has taken a radical turn to the left.”

Deaton vs Warren

Arguably the most-watched race for the crypto community comes in the form of outspoken senate hopeful John Deaton vs Elizabeth Warren. In the past decade, Warren’s become the face of “anti-crypto” due to her apparent hardline stance against cryptocurrency in general.

Deaton framed himself as a scrapper ready to take on the elite, telling the crowd “I’m from Detroit, Michigan,” adding that he was raised by a “single mother on welfare and food stamps in one of the worst neighborhoods in America.”

He also assured the audience that he was going to win:

“I’m going against Elizabeth Warren who wants to ban the self-custody of Bitcoin in the United States …. George Orwell is rolling over in his grave and I’m telling you I’m going to beat Elizabeth Warren.”

After the candidates introduced themselves, McIntosh asked each one to discuss why it was important for them to beat the left — all three senate candidates were nominated by the Republican party.

Per Moreno: “we are the ones that are in charge of this country. These politicians have got it backwards. They think they’re in charge. They think they get to tell us what kind of car to drive, what kind of stove to own, whether we can own Bitcoin. That’s what’s on the ballot this year. We’re going to take this country back. We’re in charge, not the politicians.”

Brown invoked the government’s attempts at framing Bitcoin mining as an energy issue saying, “one thing we can look at is our energy policy and the way we see … people trying to attack Bitcoin miners.” He added that “we cannot allow government, and especially bureaucrats, to go unchecked in attacking broad industries as energy and specifically targeting folks like Bitcoin miners. “

John Deaton might have had the best quote of the panel, simply stating:

“When you look at me you’re looking at the living embodiment of the American dream and everything that’s possible in a great and free country. At the end of the day it’s about self determination. I look at Bitcoin, I look at economic freedom.”

Related: ‘ We have to get rid of the folks who are in the way’ — Senators speak at Bitcoin 2024