Behind the curtain: Trump’s extravagant multimillion-dollar cryptocurrency dinner
Over 200 wealthy crypto enthusiasts gathered at Donald Trump’s Washington D.C. golf course on Thursday evening for a private dinner with the president.
They were treated to filet mignon and warm lava cake inside the two-story clubhouse at the golf course, which sits on 800 acres in Northern Virginia on the banks of the Potomac River. The White House kept the guest list a secret but many of the invited posted about the event on social media, showing off photos of Marine One landing and the massive ballroom filled with guests in black-tie.
They enjoyed filet mignon and warm lava cake inside the two-story clubhouse at the golf course, which spans 800 acres in Northern Virginia along the Potomac River. The White House kept the guest list confidential, but many attendees shared their experience on social media, posting photos of Marine One landing and the grand ballroom filled with guests in formal attire.
Trump’s dinner attended by cryptocurrency enthusiasts. Pic: Instagram/Daily Mail
Democrats and ethics experts criticized the event, calling it a way for Trump to profit personally. However, the president defended himself in his speech to the guests, accusing Hunter Biden and the Biden family of capitalizing on the Oval Office. ’Ultimately, no matter what it is, I always put the country way ahead of the business,’ he said, adding ’You can’t say that about Hunter.’
Trump highlighted that President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, sold paintings for substantial sums: ’500,000 for a painting.’ A video of his remarks was shared on social media by attendees. The dinner was organized by the president’s cryptocurrency venture for the largest holders of the $TRUMP meme coin. Trump promoted the venture’s merits during his address.
Trump promoted the venture’s merits during his address. ’A lot of sense in crypto, a lot of common sense,’ the president noted. He was dressed in the blue suit and red tie he had worn at the White House earlier that day. Many investors in the cryptocurrency are foreign, and it’s uncertain what security vetting they underwent to attend the ballroom event. Some guests had to make their way through a group of protesters outside the club, walking past the vociferous crowds to enter the event.
Trump’s dinner attended by cryptocurrency enthusiasts. Pic: Instagram/Daily Mail
Inside, attendees were welcomed by a poster of Trump in a tuxedo, his fist raised in his familiar fighting stance, emblazoned with the words ’Fight Fight Fight’ in gold. The dinner menu included field green salad, filet mignon, pan-seared halibut, and warm lava cake, according to photos posted by guests on social media. Trump stayed for about an hour before leaving aboard Marine One, heading back to the White House at sunset. Upon returning to the South Lawn, he told reporters the dinner was ’good. Very good.’ The event aimed to express gratitude to investors for their $400 million investment in Trump’s memecoin. The official dinner website described it as ’the most exclusive invitation in the world.’
The average attendee spent $1,788,994.42 to be part of the dinner, based on an analysis by the blockchain analytics company Nansen presented to NBC News. However, admission costs ranged from $55,000 to $37.7 million, with the top seven contributors spending over $10 million each. The invitation also offered the 25 most significant investors special access to the president, including a private reception and an exclusive White House tour. ’FOR THE TOP 25 COIN HOLDERS, YOU are Invited to an Exclusive Reception before Dinner with YOUR FAVORITE PRESIDENT!,’ the website states. ’PLUS, We have separately arranged a Special VIP Tour for you – make sure you stay in town.’
Democrats and ethics experts denounced the dinner as blatant corruption designed to benefit the president. The White House responded by emphasizing that the president’s finances are held in a blind trust. ’All of the president’s assets are in a blind trust, managed by his children,’ press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated during her press briefing. She refuted claims that the president was financially benefiting from his office. ’The president is in compliance with all applicable conflict of interest laws. And I think the American public would agree that it’s absurd to suggest this president is profiting from the presidency. He was immensely successful before sacrificing it all to serve our country publicly. Not only has he lost wealth, but he also nearly lost his life. He has made significant sacrifices to be here. To imply otherwise is, frankly, completely absurd,’ she stated.
Protesters believe Trump makes financial benefits from being in office. Pic: Instagram/Daily Mail
Many attendees remained anonymous, having purchased the currency under pseudonyms, using user names for their transactions. The event attracted protesters. Outside the golf club entrance, approximately 100 individuals lined both sides of the street, chanting ’shame, shame, shame.’ They held signs reading ’Honk to Remove Trump,’ ’Stop Crypto Corruption,’ ’Pay your fair share,’ and ’America is not for sale.’
An analysis by Bloomberg News revealed that all but six of the top 25 holders who registered for the dinner utilized foreign exchanges that claim to exclude US customers. Moreover, at least 56% of the top holders used similar offshore exchanges. The $TRUMP memecoins are traded on exchange markets, and the proceeds do not directly go to Trump. However, about 80 percent of $TRUMP coins are held by Trump Organization affiliates, implying that their increased value would benefit the president’s portfolio.
Trump at the dinner attended by cryptocurrency enthusiasts. Pic: Instagram/Daily Mail
Trump’s cryptocurrency also profits these groups simply by being traded. For every $TRUMP coin transaction, a fee is collected. Chainalysis, another cryptocurrency research firm, estimated the memecoin generated nearly $900,000 in transaction fees within the first two days following the contest announcement.
Head of Investigations
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
