Buyers of President Donald Trump's Meme Coin, $TRUMP, Gather at His Private Country Club

Buyers of President Donald Trump's meme coin, $TRUMP, gathered from around the world on Thursday night to celebrate its launch

Buyers of President Donald Trump’s meme coin, $TRUMP, gathered from around the world on Thursday night for an exclusive dinner at his private country club, just outside Washington, D.C.

The event, held at Trump National Golf Club in Northern Virginia, welcomed 220 of the biggest investors in the $TRUMP meme coin, offering them a lavish dining experience with filet mignon and halibut.

According to social media posts from attendees, Trump spoke for about 30 minutes before dancing to the song “YMCA”—a moment that was later shared widely on X, formerly Twitter.

The scene unfolded just days after the White House said Trump would be attending the event “in his personal time.”output:

The president arrived in Marine One, his official helicopter, as hundreds of protesters lined the entrance to the golf club. They held signs such as “America is not for sale,” “Stop crypto corruption,” and “Release the guest list.”

Among pro-Trump crypto enthusiasts, there were mixed feelings about the president’s deep personal involvement in the industry.

“It’s distasteful and an unnecessary distraction,” said Nic Carter, a Trump supporter and partner at Castle Island Ventures, a crypto investment firm. “We would much rather that he passes common-sense legislation and leave it at that. He’s hugging us to death with his private crypto businesses.”

Critiics have argued that Trump’s unprecedented use of cryptocurrency as a personal brand is heating up transparency concerns—especially with anonymous buyers who may be leveraging the internet’s anonymity to gain access to the president.

That lack of transparency was on display at the dinner, where attendees signed a ranking of top investors, some using real names and others opting for pseudonyms.

Among the high-profile attendees was China-born crypto entrepreneur and billionaire Justin Sun, who posted a video of himself entering the ballroom with triumphant music in the background. Dressed in a tuxedo, Sun said, “See you at the Trump crypto dinner.”

The Thursday night dinner was closed to the media, and Trump stayed at his golf club for about an hour before leaving.

In addition to the Thursday night dinner, the top 25 investors were invited to a private reception with Trump.

The top four investors received $100,000 crypto-themed, Trump-branded watches—highlighting the coin’s unique role as a gateway to the president himself.

The $TRUMP meme coin experienced a sharp rise in value following its launch but later saw a steep decline. Despite the volatility, its creators—including an entity controlled by the Trump Organization—are said to have collected hundreds of millions of dollars in fees on trades.

What you should know:

Three days before Trump took office on January 20, he announced the creation of the $TRUMP meme coin at the Crypto Ball, a high-profile event held near the White House.

The meme coin is a token on the TRON blockchain, created by a company that Trump disclosed in a regulatory filing. It’s also being sold by an entity linked to the Trump Organization.

The move sparked reactions from both sides of the political aisle.

While some expressed amusement at the image of Trump dancing to “YMCA,” others criticized it as an unserious distraction from pressing economic issues.

But Trump’s meme coin differs in one key way: it provides direct access to the president.

As Trump continues to blend cryptocurrency with his personal brand, the industry remains divided over whether his involvement legitimizes or undermines the sector’s credibility.