Trump Gala Dinner Saw President Wine And Dine Top Memecoin Holders As Protestors Flashed 'Don The Con' Signs — Exclusive

Amid protests and ethical concerns, President Donald Trump hosted a private dinner for the top buyers of his Official Trump TRUMP/USD memecoin on Thursday.

What happened: Trump landed at his private golf club near Washington, D.C., via helicopter to spend the evening with his VIP guests, including cryptocurrency millionaire and Tron TRX/USD founder Justin Sun, the meme coin’s top holder.

In a series of visuals shared with Benzinga by another invitee, Morten Christensen, founder of AirdropAlert.com, Trump can be seen addressing his guests, with an elegant indoor dining setup, complete with wine glasses, cutlery, and a menu card, in the background.

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The pictures also showed protesters outside the arena holding placards with phrases such as “Democracy Not Kleptocracy” and “Don The Con."

While the top 220 holders dined with Trump at the club, the top 25 holders have been promised access to a VIP reception and White House tour, as well as limited-edition commemorative non-fungible tokens.

Sun said on X that he was awarded a Trump Golden Tourbillon watch by the POTUS.

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Why It Matters: The controversy surrounding the dinner has been escalating since it was announced last month.  Democrats and even some pro-Trump crypto enthusiasts have voiced concerns about potential conflicts of interest and the possibility of shadowy buyers gaining access to Trump through such events. 

Trump has refuted claims that he is financially benefiting from the venture.

Christensen secured a spot at the exclusive dinner by paying just $1,200. His strategy involved buying the Trump memecoin and shorting the exact same amount, resulting in a market-neutral position. This essentially meant that they just paid trading fees.

Interestingly, Christensen told Benzinga that he did not favor presidents or heads of state getting linked to speculative investments.

"If promoting a stock you own is a legal issue, the same logic should apply to crypto. There's too much potential for conflict of interest," he said.

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Feature Photo Courtesy: Morten Christensen