John McAfee; the notorious founder of McAfee antivirus software (and the man who, arguably, pioneered the industry itself) has officially launched his 2020 bid for the U.S. Presidential Election, following its announcement earlier this year.
The 74 year-old tech-legend is standing as one of the presidential candidates for the Libertarian Party. He has also referenced his candidacy through various interviews, tweets and media many times since then.
This isn’t the first time that McAfee has run for the position of president of the United States of America either, with the last time being the 2016 election, again under the banner of the Libertarian party (originally running for the newly formed, unknown ‘Cyber Party’).
In 2016, John McAfee’s campaign trail included an appearance on The Alex Jones Show in which he reportedly decried the ways in which the U.S. government distributes the proceeds of taxes. He also gained coverage on the likes of Fox Business Network, Business Insider, and more.
McAfee could be considered something of an anarchist, even going so far as to apply the label to himself via Twitter where he described ‘Anarchy’ as:
“the total absence of external governance. It requires a person with enough insight and courage to govern themselves in order for it to work.”
What’s different this time around however, is that John McAfee has made several headlines so far since 2016.
On the positive side, McAfee successfully transitioned into a prolific cryptocurrency enthusiast: providing a combination of industry punditry, investment and entrepreneurial ventures. The latest of these is McAfeeDex, a decentralized exchange which features
Conversely, there is at least one few fatal flaw in John McAfee’s presidential plan – none of which relating to the fact that he was actually born in the United Kingdom. In fact: this is not a problem at all, because McAfee was born on a U.S. military base in the country which makes him exempt from any such restrictions against his candidacy.
“How do we free ourselves from a government that no longer serves us, but instead has become our master – controlling our every action, down to the detail of what we may or may not put into our bodies and minds….
Do not ask me about immigration, foreign relations, education etc. I have no idea. Those claiming that they do are lying to themselves, or if not, they are purposely lying to you. We must first be free. Freedom for The People is my only goal.”
McAfee2020.com
Rather than provide a full manifesto or traditional messaging, the official McAfee2020.com website is emblazoned with a stylised ‘M2020’ in front of an image of John McAfee, above the phrase “DON’T VOTE MCAFEE”.
McAfee clearly does not expect, nor intend to win with this nomination but rather use his platform to send a specific message: that the current two-party political system is broken beyond repair – and key issues remain that neither party is interested in addressing.
The site proposes 10 “serious” suggestions of how sympathetic citizens can support the cause…
- Make a realistic forecast and budget
- Join our online community (Discord)
- Contact media outlets and personalities
- Start a Political Action Committee (PAC)
- Grassroots messaging and recruiting
- Join the LP and tell them why
- Consider being a Libertarian delegate in 2020
- Double down on social media
- Start a campaigning jar
- Learn about cryptocurrency
McAfee is currently on the run from the Inland Revenue Service of the United States for tax evasion, a crime which he publicly admitted on Twitter in a message which dared the authorities to convict him over 8+ years of offences. He is currently in a self-imposed exile.
In July 2019, McAfee was released from custody by authorities of the Dominician Republic. He had been arrested as a result of what CNET / Associated Press has described as “Multiple high-caliber weapons as well as ammunition [which] were seized during the arrest”.
Perhaps the most damning of John McAfee’s convictions, however, occurred in Belize all the way back in 2012 – from which he escaped charges of murder.
