Trump speaks with presidential seal at crypto dinner billed as private
Ethics watchdogs blasted Trump for hosting the dinner that included former NBA star Lamar Odom and where investors spent an estimated $148 million on the $TRUMP meme coin to secure their seats, according to crypto intelligence firm Inca Digital. About 100 protesters across the street from Trump National Golf Course Washington D.C. in Sterling, Virginia, held signs with messages such as "Stop Crypto Corruption" and "Release the guest list."
More: Trump's crypto dinner: Black ties, a Chinese billionaire and ethics questions
"This is one of the most blatant and appalling instances of selling access to the presidency I've ever seen," said Donald Sherman, executive director and chief counsel of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
The Securities and Exchange Commission sued Sun and his companies - Tron Foundation, BitTorrent Foundation, and Rainberry - in March 2023. But under the Trump administration the SEC asked for the case to be put on hold in February to explore a resolution.
More: Ex-NBA player Lamar Odom met with boos from hecklers at Trump's crypto dinner
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters the dinner was a private rather than public event.
"The president is attending it in his personal time," Leavitt said. "It's not a White House dinner."
She dismissed questions about the ethics of holding the dinner for people who invested in his crypto coin.
"The president is abiding by all conflict of interest laws that are applicable to the president," Leavitt said. "The American public believe it is absurd for anyone to insinuate that this president is profiting from the presidency."
Contributing: Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
26 minutes ago
- Reuters
Trump sued by US states over withholding $6.8 billion for schools
July 14 (Reuters) - A coalition of mostly Democratic-led states filed a lawsuit on Monday challenging a move by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to withhold about $6.8 billion in congressionally approved federal funding for K-12 schools. Attorneys general or governors from 24 states and the District of Columbia sued in federal court in Providence, Rhode Island, arguing that the U.S. Department of Education and the Office of Management and Budget threw schools nationwide into chaos by unconstitutionally freezing funding for six programs approved by Congress. The freeze extended to funding used to support the education of migrant farm workers and their children; recruitment and training of teachers; English proficiency learning; academic enrichment; and after-school and summer programs. The administration also froze funding used to support adult literacy and job-readiness skills. The government was legally required to release the money to the states by July 1, the lawsuit said. Instead, the Education Department notified states on June 30 that it would not be issuing grant awards under those programs by that deadline. It cited the change in administration as its reason. An OMB spokesperson at the time cited an "ongoing programmatic review" of education funding and said initial findings showed what he termed as a misuse of grant funds to "subsidize a radical leftwing agenda." OMB also raised objections to the use of the grant money to support scholarships for immigrant students and lessons that involved LGBTQ themes. The Democratic-led states said the sweeping funding freeze has disrupted school systems, resulting in summer school and after-school programs being canceled or put at risk and the halting of other initiatives with little time for school districts to fill in the holes left in their budgets. The states say the administration violated the U.S. Constitution by disregarding Congress' sole authority over spending and ran afoul of federal administrative law by freezing the funds without any reasoned explanation. The states also say the administration failed to abide by procedures of the Impoundment Control Act, which bars the executive branch from unilaterally refusing to spend funds appropriated by Congress unless certain steps are followed. The lawsuit follows a series of other cases Democratic-led states and others have filed challenging the administration's sweeping efforts to freeze or terminate federal funding for programs out of line with Trump's agenda.
Powys County Times
28 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Mass protests planned in London and Windsor for Trump's state visit
Anti-Trump campaigners are to stage a mass demonstration in central London on the first day of the US president's state visit to the UK. The Stop Trump Coalition is also planning further protests, including one near Windsor Castle, during Donald Trump's high profile trip in two months' time. Buckingham Palace confirmed on Monday that the King is to host the controversial American leader at the Berkshire royal residence from September 17-19, when he will be feted with a ceremonial welcome and a state banquet. The trip will be Mr Trump's second state visit to the UK – an unprecedented gesture for a US president – with his last one in 2019 seeing thousands of people turn out on the streets in London in opposition. A 20ft Trump baby blimp also took to the skies above Parliament Square, just as it did during a previous visit by the billionaire-turned politician in 2018. The Stop Trump Coalition has yet to confirm whether the famous inflatable effigy, which depicts the US president as an angry baby in a nappy clutching a mobile phone, will make a reappearance, but urged people to 'keep your eyes on the skies'. The original was donated to the Museum of London in 2021. Other inventive creations by protesters in 2019 included a 16ft talking robot of Mr Trump sitting on a gold toilet, which said the phrases 'No collusion', 'You are fake news' and 'I'm a very stable genius' in audio of Mr Trump's own voice; and Handmaids Against Trump – women draped in red with white hoods in homage to Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel about a crackdown on reproductive rights. On September 17 – the first day of Mr Trump's visit – demonstrators will assemble at London's Embankment at 2pm and march to a 5pm rally at an as-yet-undisclosed location. Further protests, including one near Windsor Castle, are set to be confirmed once more details of Mr Trump's visit is known. Security is expected to be at peak levels for the American leader, who survived an assassination attempt last year. The Stop Trump Coalition's spokesperson Seema Syeda said: 'This will be a massive protest against Trump's state visit. 'Trump and his authoritarian politics are not welcome here. Keir Starmer should not be rolling out the red carpet for Trump. 'They are already running scared. They have chosen the first possible date that stops Trump from being able to address Parliament. 'We know that Trump is deeply unpopular with the public. 'We mobilised hundreds of thousands of people against Trump during his first term, and he has only got worse since then. 'We are working at speed to bring together all the movements – for democracy, for equality, against climate change, for a free Palestine – to show our unity against Trump.' Asked about the Trump effigy, she said: 'Will Trump Baby be back? You'll have to keep your eyes on the skies.' The House of Commons will not be sitting at the time of Mr Trump's visit as it will be in recess for party conference season, meaning the president will not be able to address Parliament as French President Emmanuel Macron did during his state visit last week. However, the House of Lords will be sitting. Nick Dearden, director of Global Justice Now which is part of the coalition, accused Mr Trump of being a bully and suggested there was a growing global resistance against him. 'Trump is engaged in economic warfare against both friend and foe,' he said. 'He's bullying countries, including the UK, to give in to the demands of American multinational corporations. 'And he's taking his own country down an increasingly fascist path – crushing the rights of Americans, ignoring the courts, threatening the media and universities.' Mr Dearden added: 'Why on earth would we want to accord this man a second state visit? 78% of Britons have a negative view of Trump, and with good reason. 'If Starmer won't stand up to Trump, we will – by taking to the streets as part of the growing global resistance against Trump and the oligarchs that surround him.'
Powys County Times
28 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Trump threatens Russia tariffs if Ukraine war is not resolved within 50 days
Donald Trump said he would punish Russia with tariffs if there is not a deal to end the war in Ukraine within 50 days. The US president made the announcement during an Oval Office meeting with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte. 'We're going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don't have a deal in 50 days,' Mr Trump said. He did not provide specifics on how the tariffs would be implemented. 'I use trade for a lot of things,' he added. 'But it's great for settling wars.' Meanwhile, Mr Trump's special envoy to Ukraine and Russia met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Monday, as anticipation grew over a possible shift in the Trump administration's policy on the three-year war. Mr Rutte also planned to hold talks with US defence secretary Pete Hegseth and secretary of state Marco Rubio, as well as members of Congress. Mr Trump made quickly stopping the war one of his diplomatic priorities, and he has increasingly expressed frustration about Russian president Vladimir Putin's unbudging stance on US-led peace efforts. Mr Trump has long boasted of his friendly relationship with Mr Putin, and after taking office in January repeatedly said that Russia was more willing than Ukraine to reach a peace deal. At the same time, Mr Trump accused Mr Zelensky of prolonging the war and called him a 'dictator without elections.' But Russia's relentless onslaught against civilian areas of Ukraine wore down Mr Trump's patience. In April, Mr Trump urged Mr Putin to 'STOP!' launching deadly barrages on Kyiv, and the following month said in a social media post that the Russian leader ' has gone absolutely CRAZY!' as the bombardments continued. 'I am very disappointed with President Putin, I thought he was somebody that meant what he said,' Mr Trump said late on Sunday. 'He'll talk so beautifully and then he'll bomb people at night. We don't like that.' Mr Zelensky said he and Mr Trump's envoy, retired Lt Gen Keith Kellogg, had 'a productive conversation' about strengthening Ukrainian air defences, joint arms production and purchasing US weapons in conjunction with European countries, as well as the possibility of tighter international sanctions on the Kremlin. 'We hope for the leadership of the United States, because it is clear that Moscow will not stop unless its … ambitions are stopped by force,' Mr Zelensky said on Telegram.
