Trump, Crypto, and Self-Enrichment: A New York Minute on the President's Digital Dealings

Trump's foray into crypto raises eyebrows. Is it savvy business or a slippery slope? We dive into the '$TRUMP' coin and the potential self-enrichment.

Hold onto your hats, folks! The intersection of Trump, crypto, and self-enrichment is getting wilder than a Brooklyn bodega cat chase. Let’s break down this digital drama, shall we?

The $TRUMP Coin: Access Granted (For a Price)

Picture this: Trump National Golf Club, a room full of financiers, and a meme coin called $TRUMP. According to a recent report (June 19th, 2025), access to this shindig cost a cool $1.8 million in $TRUMP coin investments. The promise? Face time with the Crypto President himself. Sounds like a brazen auction of presidential access, right? It appears the more you spend, the closer you get to power. This isn't just a meme; it's a gilded ticket.

Dismantling the Guardrails

But wait, there’s more! The Trump administration is allegedly gutting crypto regulations faster than you can say “pump and dump.” The SEC investigations paused, the crypto enforcement team dissolved—it’s like opening the floodgates to a digital Wild West. Critics say this creates a playground where billionaires manipulate markets while everyday Joes risk their life savings. When $TRUMP inevitably crashes, guess who’s left holding the bag?

Family Business: World Liberty Financial (WLF)

Enter Eric and Donald Trump Jr. with their crypto firm, World Liberty Financial (WLF). They’ve got a piece of the action, channeling foreign capital and raising all sorts of ethical questions. A $2 billion investment from Abu Dhabi’s MGX fund into Binance, using WLF’s stablecoin, raised eyebrows, especially with Eric Trump promoting the deal right before his dad’s visit to the UAE. Is this diplomacy or a family piggy bank?

The Critics Weigh In

Ethicists and legal scholars are losing it. Harvard Professor Steven Levitsky calls it “open corruption,” while Columbia Law Professor Richard Briffault says Trump is “marketing access to himself as a way to profit his memecoin.” Even former Republican Congressman Charlie Dent admits this stinks. With Trump’s crypto ventures valued near $2.9 billion, it's a Mount Everest of potential conflicts.

Foreign Influence in the Mix

Here's a kicker: anonymity in crypto allows foreign investment in Trump-linked ventures. Turns out, many top $TRUMP holders operate outside the US. Take Justin Sun, the crypto magnate facing SEC charges, who showers Trump with gifts and gratitude. Is this just good business, or is it a back door to influence national policy? The Trump administration also appears to be pushing lax stablecoin rules that could open doors to money laundering for international criminal enterprises.

From Crypto Skeptic to Crypto King

Remember when Trump called Bitcoin a “scam”? Now he’s crypto’s biggest cheerleader. This transformation coincides with crypto's potential to make his family very rich. The appointment of crypto insiders, the dismantling of regulations, and the direct peddling of access—it all paints a picture of institutionalized graft.

Is This the End of Democracy as We Know It?

The $TRUMP saga isn’t just about making a buck; it’s about commodifying the presidency. The Framers put emoluments clauses in the Constitution to prevent this kind of self-enrichment. Trump’s actions appear to thumb his nose at this principle. The losers? Everyday Americans. The solution? Legislative action, rigorous investigation, and public outcry. Without it, the highest office could become a profit machine, its dignity traded like a meme coin.

So, what’s the takeaway? This whole Trump-crypto-self-enrichment thing is messier than a New York City pigeon coop. Whether it’s a stroke of genius or a recipe for disaster remains to be seen. One thing's for sure: it’s a wild ride, and we’re all just along for it!