Photo Gallery: ‘America is Not for Sale’ Protest Against Trump’s Meme Coin Gala
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, Public Citizen held a rally in partnership with Our Revolution ahead of President Trump’s meme coin gala at the Trump National Golf Club to protest the president’s unprecedented ethics violations and corruption techniques. Check out the compilation video by Our Revolution and photo gallery from Getty Images.
As rich tech bros, billionaires and a few celebrities arrived for their pay-to-play dinner with Donald Trump at his golf course in Potomac Falls, VA, more than 100 protestors held signs and chanted “Shame!” Speakers included Public Citizen Co-President Robert Weissman, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Our Revolution Executive Director Joseph Geevarghese, Indivisible Co-Executive Director Leah Greenberg, Americans for Financial Reform Associate Director of Cryptocurrency and Financial Technology Mark Hayes and Democracy Defenders Fund Anti Corruption and Ethics Chief Counsel and Director Virginia Canter.
“Their purpose is to buy access to the president of the United States,” said Robert Weissman, Public Citizen co-president. “They aren’t buying Trump memes just because they want to bask in his glory. They want things from him. They want to buy their way out of enforcement actions and influence policy.”
“What we’re seeing tonight is open corruption—crypto billionaires and speculators buying political access at a private gala, with Congress giving them cover by passing the GENIUS Act,” said Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution, speaking at the rally. “This isn’t policy—it’s bribery dressed up as legislation. Trump and his family are pocketing millions, and our campaign finance system is enabling a full-blown kleptocracy. If we don’t fight back, democracy becomes nothing more than a price tag.”
Trump promised the 220 individuals who sent him the most money as part of his meme coin venture, $TRUMP, would be invited to attend a gala at his golf club, and the top 25 coin holders would get an “exclusive” reception with Trump. Buyers spent an estimated $148 million to win the opportunity to dine with the president. Though purchasers of the meme coin are anonymous, reports show most are likely foreign buyers.
Public Citizen has been a leading critic of the cryptocurrency industry and its soaring influence in election spending, the Trump Administration and Trump himself. Since February, Public Citizen experts have repeatedly called on the Office of Government Ethics and the Department of Justice to investigate whether Trump violated federal law barring the president from soliciting gifts.
Learn more on Public Citizen’s Big Tech accountability work here. For news inquiries, contact Public Citizen Press Officer Katie Garcia at kgarcia@citizen.org.