More than 100 protesters gathered outside a golf club in Virginia to protest a dinner hosted by Trump for his meme coin holders.
In short
As Trump dined with $TRUMP token holders, protesters held signs saying "Grift Gala" and "America Doesn’t Sell Out."
The protest was organized by the American Tax Fairness Organization, the American Civil Rights Organization, and Our Revolution.
Before the dinner, Democrats introduced a bill to prohibit the president from owning cryptocurrency while in office.
On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump hosted a controversial private dinner for the main holders of his meme cryptocurrency $TRUMP, with over a hundred protesters gathering outside the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia.
When the president arrived, protesters waved signs saying "Stop Crypto Corruption" and shouted "Shame!".
One group held up a giant coin featuring Trump's angry face to draw attention to what they called a "scam gala."
The protest was coordinated by advocacy groups such as the American Tax Fairness Organization, the American Civil Rights Organization, and Our Revolution, who condemned the event as an act of selling political influence.
"Trump is openly using his meme coin to sell influence while selling out Medicaid to provide tax cuts for his wealthy donors. This is simply extreme corruption," Our Revolution stated on X.
Reporters have contacted the White House press office for comment.
This strong opposition has intensified scrutiny over Trump's embrace of digital assets, with critics saying that Trump's actions blur the moral line between public office and personal interests.
The dinner was aimed at the top 220 investors in the $TRUMP token, a meme coin launched by President Trump in January of this year. According to the organizers, the top 25 holders will also attend a cocktail party on Friday night.
The complete guest list has not yet been released. Confirmed attendees include cryptocurrency tycoon Justin Sun, who was previously investigated by the U.S. for cryptocurrency trading.
Former NBA star Lamar Odom, the ex-husband of Khloé Kardashian, was also found to be in attendance at the event.
Media were denied entry to the event, and White House officials refused to release a list of attendees, stating that the president was attending the event "in his personal capacity."
As Trump and his family's cryptocurrency investments continue to grow, lawmakers are trying to limit his ability to profit from the cryptocurrency hype he promotes.
Before the party began, California Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters introduced the "2025 Bill to Prevent Trump from Entering Cryptocurrency," which would prohibit the current president and his close relatives from owning or profiting from cryptocurrency.
Waters previously said in a statement shared with Decrypt: "Enough, Congress can no longer ignore the biggest scam and abuse of power in American history."
There has also been some criticism within the cryptocurrency community. Some developers and investors warn that Trump's direct involvement in meme coins could damage the legitimacy of cryptocurrency and provoke a strong regulatory backlash.