Trump Hosts $148M Crypto Gala Amid Protests, Security Criticism

President Donald Trump hosted an exclusive dinner at his Virginia golf club for the top investors in his meme coin, $TRUMP, raising concerns about corruption and pay-for-play politics. The event drew 220 attendees who collectively spent millions on the token, including controversial figures like Chinese crypto magnate Justin Sun, who reportedly spent $40 million and received a gold watch from Trump despite facing SEC fraud charges. Critics and lawmakers, including Democratic senators and watchdogs, condemned the event as a brazen example of presidential corruption, highlighting that many guests were foreign nationals barred from legally donating to Trump's campaigns. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the event as a personal gathering unrelated to official duties, a stance that legal experts say may expose Trump to legal risks. The dinner, described by some as the "Met Gala of presidential pay-for-play," was marked by lavish displays but left many attendees unimpressed, coinciding with a decline in the $TRUMP token's value. Outside the venue, protesters rallied against what they termed "crypto corruption," underscoring widespread public unease about the mingling of political power and crypto investments.