Trump's Campaign Disputed Allegations Friday That the President Is Using His Office for Personal Gain by Peddling a Cryptocurrency Meme Coin

The White House press secretary disputed allegations Friday that President Donald Trump is using his office for personal gain by peddling a cryptocurrency meme coin and visiting a

President Donald Trump is being accused of using his office for personal gain, especially after he began touting a cryptocurrency meme coin and is planning to visit a region of the world that may be the site of a future Trump property.

Trump is touting the $TRUMP meme coin, which has surged in value after the president announced earlier this week that the top 25 holders of the coin will get access to the president before a dinner at his Washington, D.C.-area golf club later this month. The top 225 holders of $TRUMP will also be able to attend the dinner.

During her daily briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked by reporter Andrew Egger of the Bulwark why Trump is planning to attend a dinner for the coin’s top investors.

Leavitt claimed there is nothing untoward about the president’s involvement in the coin or his appearance at the dinner.

“Look, the president is abiding by all conflict-of-interest laws. The president has been incredibly transparent with his own personal financial obligations throughout the years,” she said.

“The president is a successful businessman, and, frankly, it’s one of the many reasons that people elected him back to this office.”

Egger followed up on his question, pointing out that a logistics company said it would buy $20 million worth of $TRUMP in an effort to influence the president on free trade between the United States and Mexico.

Asked if the company was wasting its money, Leavitt said, “Look, I can assure you the president acts with only the interests of the American public in mind, putting our country first and doing what’s best for our country -- full stop. That’s his intention, and that’s what he’s focused on.”

The questions about Trump’s alleged self-dealing did not end there.

Leavitt became angered after another reporter asked if Trump plans to meet with people involved in his family’s business while in the Middle East next week or whether he plans to tour sites that may be home to a future Trump resort.

“Not to my knowledge,” Leavitt responded, and let me just get to the premise of your question … I think it’s frankly ridiculous that anyone in this room would even suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit.

Trump, she claimed, “left a life of luxury and a life of running a very successful real estate empire for public service, not just once but twice. And again, the American public elected him back to the White House because they trust he acts in the best interest of our country and putting the American public first.

“This is a president who has actually lost money for being president of the United States.”

Meanwhile, Trump’s company and those he partnered with on the meme coin made more than $100 million on $TRUMP while holders of the coin lost $2 billion as of early February, according to a New York Times analysis.