The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 25, 2025
President Donald Trump launched a cryptocurrency “meme coin” with his likeness on January 17th, just before inauguration day. April 21st, with its value plummeting, the company offered top buyers of the coin a dinner with Trump and a personal tour of the White House. That likely violates the Emoluments Clause.
The website for the meme coin loudly promotes a dinner with Trump at his Washington golf club for the top 220 owners of the coin, and for the top 25 owners, an “exclusive reception” and a “special VIP tour.” But as of April 24th, any reference to touring White House was scrubbed from the site.
With its value having fallen from $74.00 to a low of $7.66 on April 17, the price jumped after the announcement to $14.54 on April 23rd. But it’s not the price of the coin that should worry Americans, but that corporations, special interests or foreign governments could exploit the offer as an opportunity to channel money to the notoriously transactional Trump in exchange for access and favors.
Jordan Libowitz of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington told Mother Jones magazine, “This is about as unethical as you can get – essentially selling off access to the president.”
We have a pre-scrubbing graphic, and more on the Emoluments Clause, at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
April 23 – GetTrumpMemes.com via WaybackMachine.com – “Have Dinner With President Trump”
April 24 – GetTrumpMemes.com – “Have Dinner with President Trump” – Reference to White House Tour Scrubbed
American Constitution Society – (2019) Profiting off the Presidency: Trump’s Violations of the Emoluments Clauses
Brennan Center for Justice – (2019) How Will the Courts Handle the Trump Emoluments Cases?
American Democracy Minute – (2024) The Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause was Intended to Stop Bribery and Corruption. Recently, Not So Much
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) – (2024) The intensifying threat of Donald Trump’s emoluments
Mother Jones – Trump Crypto Coin Buyers Offered VIP Tour of White House
CoinStats – TRUMP Meme Coin Tumbles After Soaring on Exclusive Gala Announcement
Groups Taking Action:
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
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