Trump Plans Third Memecoin Dinner for Top 185 TRUMP Holders Amid Ethics Criticism

The group behind Official Trump (TRUMP) announced Wednesday that the president will attend a third event for his biggest tokenholders on Nov. 22 at his golf club in Washington, DC. Only the top 185 holders, scored between Sept. 30 and Nov. 12, will qualify, and three unnamed guests will join him. Earlier events included a May 2025 dinner for 220 holders and an April 2026 luncheon for 297 guests at Mar-a-Lago. TRUMP rose about 9% to $2.23 after the news and traded near $2.06 later, far below its $70 peak after the January 2025 launch.

Pay-to-Play Concerns and Investor Losses

Public Citizen estimated in August that investors in Trump family crypto ventures were $4.7 billion underwater, with $3.2 billion tied to the memecoin. Its co-president, Robert Weissman, called the dinner unethical profiteering at best and pay-to-play access at worst. Senator Chris Coons called it corruption. Critics also point to Justin Sun, the top holder at the 2025 dinner with about $19 million in tokens, whose SEC lawsuit later settled for $10 million. Trump reported $1.4 billion in 2025 crypto earnings.

CLARITY Act Stalls in the Senate

The announcement followed the Senate’s failure to advance the CLARITY Act, as Democrats, including Senator Ellissa Slotkin, rejected its ethics provisions. With Democrats favored in the polls to win Congress in 2027, the bill’s future is uncertain.