Trump’s Money Obsession Means Influence Can Be Bought With a Meme
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Trump announced that the top holders of his “meme coin,” will be invited to a private dinner at his Virginia golf club.
Public Citizen submitted a complaint to the Department of Justice in February, calling for an investigation into whether President Trump violated federal law barring the president from soliciting gifts. We also commented on the SEC’s declaration that meme coins have “no use,” and its implications for Trump’s potential gift solicitation.
Craig Holman, a government ethics expert with Public Citizen, issued the following statement in response to the newly announced dinner:
“America has never had a president who is so in love with money. Even though Trump has more money in his accounts than he could ever spend, billionaires have discovered that million-dollar donations to anything associated with Trump is a sure way to incur personal and political gratitude. Million-dollar donations to Trump’s 2025 Inauguration — which raised 5-times more than could be spent on the party — appear to already have resulted in exclusive access to the administration, appointments in the administration, and very friendly policy positions and executive orders.
“Trump once claimed he is so rich he cannot be bought. But his obsession with money means he apparently can be bought for a meme.”