Donald Trump hosted a private dinner at his Virginia golf club for the top 220 buyers of his $TRUMP memecoin. Attendees paid an average of over $1 million to be there, but some left disappointed with the experience. Crypto investor and TikTok personality Nicholas Pinto said the food was “the worst I’ve ever had at a Trump golf course” and that Trump only spent time with the top-tier buyers before leaving after about 23 minutes.
The event has faced criticism for lacking transparency and potentially allowing foreign nationals and vested interests to gain access to the president by financially benefiting him.
Attendees criticize Trump dinner experience
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the secrecy, saying it was “not a White House dinner” and calling suggestions that Trump used it for personal gain “absurd.”
Among the invitees were a Chinese billionaire under investigation by the SEC, a lawyer for Justice Clarence Thomas, and former NBA star Lamar Odom, who promoted his own memecoin at the event.
Protesters, including Sen. Jeff Merkley, gathered outside the golf club, condemning the dinner as the “Mount Everest of corruption.” The price of the $TRUMP memecoin plunged 16% hours after the event. The dinner has raised concerns among lawmakers and regulators about the implications of Trump’s crypto ventures on U.S. policy and global finance.
Some worry that political infighting over the issue could derail bipartisan efforts to regulate stablecoins and allow the U.S. to compete in the global race for digital payments.
