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Former President Donald Trump is set to host a private dinner at his Washington-area golf club for the top investors in his controversial cryptocurrency venture — the $TRUMP meme coin — according to an announcement made Wednesday by the company behind the coin.
The “intimate private” gala dinner is being billed as a unique opportunity for top $TRUMP holders to dine with the former president and discuss the future of crypto. The top 220 average holders of the token between April 23 and May 12 will receive an invitation, while the top 25 investors will enjoy an exclusive VIP reception and “Special VIP” tour. Earlier promotional material listed the tour as a “VIP White House Tour,” but that reference has since been scrubbed from the coin’s official website.
“$TRUMP Power! The Biggest and Most Important $TRUMP Holders will Proudly have a Gala Dinner with the President,” the website boasted. “Will You Be One of Them?”
News of the event sent the meme coin’s price soaring on Wednesday, underscoring the growing intertwining of Trump’s political profile and his family’s cryptocurrency ventures. A company owned by Trump is a significant holder of the coin, raising ethics concerns from watchdog groups.
“President Trump is appearing at the dinner as a guest and not soliciting any funds for it,” reads a legal disclaimer, noting the event is being organized by a company named Fight Fight Fight LLC.
Trump’s foray into cryptocurrency dates back to the launch of the $TRUMP token just days before his January inauguration, which drew sharp rebukes from ethics experts. Since then, his family’s crypto interests have only expanded — Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump launched their own crypto firm, World Liberty Financial, with plans to release a stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar.
These ventures come at a time when crypto legislation is gaining momentum in Congress, potentially benefiting the Trump family’s financial interests. But political insiders say Trump’s deepening ties to the digital asset industry are complicating bipartisan efforts to craft new rules. “It’s made my work more complicated,” said House Financial Services Chair French Hill (R-Ark.), who has long advocated for clear crypto regulations.
Adding to the complexity, Trump signed an executive order in March directing the federal government to build a “strategic reserve” of cryptocurrencies obtained through law enforcement seizures.
While the White House did not comment on the ethical implications of the dinner, Democrats and nonpartisan groups are questioning the appropriateness of leveraging public status for private gain. They note that while the event does not constitute a direct campaign fundraiser, the promotion of a Trump-affiliated financial product to secure access to the former president blurs ethical boundaries.
The website leaves little doubt about its target audience. “The Question is… ARE YOU IN? OWN $TRUMP and Climb the Leaderboard,” it proclaims, suggesting that access to Trump — and influence over crypto policy — may come with a price paid in digital tokens.
