Some Senate Republicans are raising eyebrows over a dinner and White House tour being offered by President Donald Trump — but only to top investors in his $TRUMP meme coin. The deal? The top 220 coin holders get an exclusive dinner at his golf club, and the top 25 even score a “VIP White House Tour.” Unsurprisingly, the coin's value jumped 50%, hitting a market cap of $2.7 billion.
While Trump isn’t breaking any laws, lawmakers from both parties are uneasy. Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, a big crypto voice in the Senate, said it’s legal but feels too much like the Wild West. She’s calling for clearer rules around digital assets — especially when elected officials are involved. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska also voiced discomfort, saying it wouldn’t be right to charge people to tour the Capitol, so why should the president get away with it?
Democrats were harsher. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Adam Schiff want an ethics investigation, warning it could be “pay-to-play” corruption. Sen. Jon Ossoff even floated impeachment, and Sen. Cory Booker called it unconstitutional. Others, like Sen. John Fetterman, shrugged it off entirely.
All this comes as the Senate is prepping to vote on the GENIUS Act — a major crypto regulation bill. Whether or not the Trump meme coin event pushes that legislation forward remains to be seen, but one thing’s clear: crypto, politics, and dinner invites are making for a spicy mix in D.C.