Trump hosts lavish dinner for prime meme coin traders at his golf membership

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Having trouble? Click here. President Donald Trump hosted a swanky dinner final evening for the highest traders of his $TRUMP meme coin venture, telling them "The Biden administration persecuted crypto innovators and we’re bringing them again into the USA the place they belong," experiences mentioned.

The occasion on the Trump Nationwide Golf Membership Washington DC in Potomac Falls, Va., was open to the 220 largest consumers of Trump’s meme coin, with the highest 25 getting "an ultra-exclusive personal VIP reception with the President."

The Wall Street Journal, citing blockchain analytics agency Inca Digital, reported that round $148 million price of $TRUMP was bought by traders to win seats on the dinner, the place friends needed to cross background checks.

"The Biden administration persecuted crypto innovators, and we’re bringing them again into the united statesA. the place they belong," it quoted Trump telling the viewers Thursday evening, who dined on filet mignon and halibut.

TRUMP CRYPTO CHIEF SAYS WE ARE IN THE ‘GOLDEN AGE’ FOR DIGITAL ASSETS, ‘CLEARING THE DECK’ OF BIDEN BARRIERS

An unidentified visitor wears a masks as he arrives at Trump Nationwide Golf Membership the place a non-public dinner was hosted by the president on Thursday, Might 22, in Sterling, Va. (Alex Wong/Getty Photographs)

Protesters gathered outdoors the membership holding indicators that mentioned "cease crypto corruption" and "no corrupt fools."

"The previous administration made your lives depressing," Trump was additionally quoted by the New York Occasions as saying, in reference to President Biden’s regulations in opposition to cryptocurrency.

"There may be lots of sense in crypto. A variety of widespread sense in crypto," Trump reportedly added. "And we’re honored to be engaged on serving to all people right here."

In line with contributors' posts on social media, Trump spoke for about half an hour earlier than dancing to the tune "YMCA."

Regardless of the White Home insisting that Trump can be attending the occasion "in his private time," he stood behind a lectern with the presidential seal.

HOUSE DEMOCRATS STORM OUT OF CRYPTOCURRENCY HEARING, ALLEGING TRUMP ‘CORRUPTION’

An activist calls out an attendee of an unique dinner at Trump Nationwide Golf Membership in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Might 22. (Kevin Wolf/AP Content material Companies for Our Revolution)

Three days earlier than Trump took workplace on Jan. 20, he introduced the creation of the $TRUMP meme coin, describing as a approach for his supporters to "have enjoyable."

Trump’s meme coin noticed an preliminary spike in worth, adopted by a steep drop. Its creators, which embody an entity managed by the Trump Group, have made tons of of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} by accumulating charges on trades, in response to the Related Press.

Critics have raised concerns that the president's reference to cryptocurrency ventures might open the door to conflicts of curiosity and affect peddling.

TRUMP LAUNCHES HIS OWN CRYPTOCURRENCY MEME COIN

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., speaks outdoors the Trump Nationwide Golf Membership in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Might 22. (Kevin Wolf/AP Content material Companies for Our Revolution)

When requested by a reporter Thursday if "anybody within the White Home or within the White Home counsel's workplace advise the president in opposition to holding this sweepstakes, whereby individuals who spent essentially the most cash on his Trump coin would then have entry to the president at the moment", Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned Trump "is abiding by all conflict-of-interest legal guidelines which can be relevant to the president."

"And I believe all people, the American public, imagine it is absurd for anybody to insinuate that this president is profiting off of the presidency," she added. "This president was extremely profitable earlier than giving all of it as much as serve our nation publicly. And never solely has he misplaced wealth, however he additionally virtually misplaced his life. He has sacrificed rather a lot to be right here, and to counsel in any other case is, frankly, fully absurd."

The most important investor in Trump’s meme coin, Chinese language billionaire Justin Solar – who spent greater than $40 million -- instructed the New York Times outdoors of the occasion Thursday that "I’m very excited to satisfy him and talk about about crypto’s future."