Trump hosted a $148 million meme coin dinner for top TRUMP token holders at his Virginia golf club on May 22, 2025
The TRUMP token price dropped 16% after the event, with 220 attendees including crypto executives and former NBA star Lamar Odom
Attendees complained about poor food quality and Trump’s brief 23-minute appearance before leaving by helicopter
Chinese crypto mogul Justin Sun, facing SEC fraud charges, was the top token holder with over $22 million in TRUMP tokens
Democrats are pushing legislation to ban presidents from profiting off crypto ventures while in office
President Donald Trump hosted an exclusive dinner for the top holders of his TRUMP meme coin at his Virginia golf club on May 22, 2025. The event cost attendees a combined $148 million to secure their invitations through purchasing the token.
The dinner took place at Trump National Golf Club in Potomac Falls, Virginia, with 220 guests in attendance. Among those present were crypto influencers, industry executives like Sandy Carter from Unstoppable Domains, and former NBA player Lamar Odom.
Hours after the event, the TRUMP token price fell 16% as of Friday morning. The drop came despite the exclusive nature of the gathering, which was marketed as “the most exclusive invitation in the world.”
Attendee Nicholas Pinto, a 25-year-old crypto investor, described the experience as disappointing. His father drove him to the event in a Lamborghini, but Pinto left feeling underwhelmed and still hungry.
“The food sucked,” Pinto told reporters. “Wasn’t given any drinks other than water or Trump’s wine. I don’t drink, so I had water. My glass was only filled once.”
The three-course meal included a Trump organic field green salad, filet mignon with pan-seared halibut, mashed potatoes, and vegetable medley, followed by lava cake for dessert. Pinto called the filet mignon “trash” and compared it to “Walmart steak.”
Trump’s crypto dinner looks like a meal you’d get as a reward in prison for not stabbing anyone all week. pic.twitter.com/Ny0KVBi1mv
Trump made only a brief appearance at the dinner, staying for just 23 minutes according to Pinto. The president delivered a short address covering familiar crypto talking points before departing by helicopter without taking questions or photos with contest winners.
It should be illegal for the president of the United States to charge people money to have dinner with him. Campaign donations are fine. But not direct payments to the president’s personal account. Nor should a president sell White House tours and pocket the proceeds personally.
“He didn’t talk to any of the 220 guests — maybe the top 25,” Pinto said. Security was reportedly lax, with phones not locked in RFID pouches as is typical at high-profile events.
The guest list raised concerns among lawmakers and regulators. Chinese-born crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun was the top token holder, with over $22 million in TRUMP tokens and another $75 million in World Liberty Financial’s native token.
Sun currently faces Securities and Exchange Commission fraud charges that were recently paused. The SEC cited “the public interest” in their decision to pause the proceedings.
Outside the golf club, approximately 100 protesters gathered according to NBC News. Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon joined the demonstration, supporting a new End Crypto Corruption Act with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Legislative Impact on Crypto Bills
The dinner created complications for ongoing crypto legislation efforts. Representative French Hill of Arkansas, who leads negotiations on the bipartisan GENIUS Act stablecoin regulation bill, called the gala “a distraction from the good work we need to do.”
The GENIUS Act now faces increased political challenges. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri added a controversial provision to cap credit card late fees, which could alienate banking allies and stall the bill’s approval.
On Thursday night during the dinner, Senate Democrats announced plans to push for new provisions banning presidents and senior officials from profiting off crypto ventures while in office. This directly challenges the Trump-linked USD1 stablecoin that launched earlier this year.
Bloomberg News analysis found that all but six of the top 25 wallets used foreign exchanges typically off-limits to US users. More than half of the top 220 wallets were linked to similar offshore platforms.
The White House attempted to distance the administration from the event. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters the president attended “in his personal time” and emphasized “it is not a White House dinner.”
Since its January debut, the TRUMP coin has generated more than $324 million in trading fees. The Trump Organization and affiliates control roughly 80% of the token supply according to the project’s website.
World Liberty Financial has sold $550 million across two token sales, while Abu Dhabi’s MGX investment fund recently pledged $2 billion in USD1 to Binance exchange.
This articles is written by : Nermeen Nabil Khear Abdelmalak
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