The Trump member-only dinner and subsequent White House tour were action-packed, drawing intense scrutiny and a possible federal law violation.
The long-anticipated gala dinner between Donald Trump and about 220 top holders of the official Trump meme coin took place on Thursday at the Trump National Golf Club in Washington, D.C., and attracted some of the top dogs in the crypto space.
Some Big Names in Attendance
Attendees of the meet-and-greet dinner in the Virginia golf club spent a combined $148 million on acquiring the TRUMP token to qualify for the event. Meanwhile, the US president flew in from the White House on a military helicopter for the dinner and addressed the crowd briefly before exiting again.
Interestingly, the black-tie gala dinner attracted prominent figures, including industry CEOs, crypto influencers, and a former NBA star. They heard Trump discuss cryptocurrency and his administration’s plans to right the wrongs done by his predecessors in the sector.
Justin Sun, the founder of the Tron network and advisor to the World Liberty Financial, was in attendance. He ranked top of the list, with his over $18 million TRUMP bag proving insurmountable by others in attendance.
As the top holder of $TRUMP and proud supporter of President Trump, it was an honor to attend the Trump Gala Dinner by @GetTrumpMemes.
Thank you @POTUS for your unwavering support of our industry!#MakeCryptoGreatAgain🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Yy2TuWEgzT
— H.E. Justin Sun 🍌 (@justinsuntron) May 23, 2025
Further, Elliot Berke, a top Washington lawyer who won the Republican Lawyer of the Year in 2021, also attended the gala. Wintermute’s founder, Evgeny Gaevoy, and former NBA star Lamar Odom were also among the big names who participated in the gala event.
Protests and Criticism Trail Event
Meanwhile, protesters gathered in their numbers outside the Trump National Golf Club and vented their anger at Trump’s cryptocurrency meddling despite holding a sensitive political position. Senator Jeff Merkley from Oregon also joined the agitators with banners like “100% Pure Corruption,” “Crypto Corruption,” and “Trump is a traitor” flying around.
Trump’s move also drew widespread criticism on social and legal media. Even a Republican congressman, Rep. French Hill, expressed displeasure in the meeting, stressing that Trump’s dinner belittles efforts to galvanize bipartisan support for crypto bills like the GENIUS Act.
Nonetheless, the White House has denied speculations that the US president was using his position for personal interest. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt stressed that Trump attended the meeting unofficially and declined requests to release the 220 attendees’ list.
Possible Break of Federal Law
Meanwhile, a Forbes report suggested that Trump may have broken federal law during his dinner meeting with top TRUMP holders who registered for the event. It mentioned the pro-crypto president’s speech on a podium with a presidential seal as a possible transgression.
The legal concern, addressed in 18 US Code 713, stresses that Trump’s use of the presidential seal suggests federal endorsement or approval. If found guilty, the involved parties face a fine or up to six months in prison.
TRUMP Token Reacts
The TRUMP token has been at the center of this drama. The meme coin, launched in January, reacted adversely to the negative narrative surrounding the dinner and the subsequent Friday White House tour for 25 top holders in the contest.
While it received a significant boost when the project initially announced the event, it has relinquished some of its gains after the dinner. For perspective, TRUMP is down 7% in the last 24 hours, trading at $12.87. Nonetheless, it trades well above the levels before the April announcement, when its value stood at $9.
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