Dozens of the roughly 200 cryptocurrency traders who were invited to a private dinner held by President Donald Trump last week hold other crypto assets with symbology linked to far right ideologies, white nationalism and neo-Nazism, a government watchdog says.
According to a recent report by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), 50 of the invitees hold crypto assets named after Pepe the Frog, a cartoon figure associated with the far right, as well as coins with names or symbols referencing bigoted ideologies.
For instance, CREW said, nine of the traders’ wallets contain coins with openly antisemitic or racist names.
“For example, one token is called ‘FUCK THE JEWS,’ while another is simply the n-word. Four others are variations on the word ‘swastika,’ such as ‘Swasticoin’ and ‘Swastika Coin,’” CREW wrote.
CREW acknowledged that the traders may have bought the coins based on potential profits, and that Pepe the Frog, while adopted years ago by the far right, is not always a symbol of hatred.
However, the report is the latest example of the numerous associations with neo-Nazis and white nationalists held by Trump and his administration officials — in a presidential term that began with key administration ringleader Elon Musk performing what appeared to be a Nazi salute at a Trump rally.
It comes at a time when the Trump administration is using accusations of supposed antisemitism as a bludgeon to crack down on free speech, levying the claim against supporters of Palestinian rights without evidence while also embracing and defending outspoken neo-Nazis who actually pose a threat to the safety of Jewish people.
The event is also one of many shows of Trump’s penchant for naked corruption, as many critics say, with Trump allowing wealthy people and entities to buy access to the presidency or even legal favors.
The gala, hosted at Trump’s Virginia golf club, was advertised by Trump’s team as “the most exclusive invitation in the world.” Trump invited 220 top buyers of his crypto coin, $TRUMP, to the event, with those in attendance having spent a combined $148 million in hopes of having a chance to attend.
The event and release of the coin was a display of opulent wealth with the seemingly explicit purpose of enhancing Trump’s personal wealth — as CREW put it, “a naked attempt by President Donald Trump to profit from his office.” The announcement of the dinner in April made the value of the coin surge.
One known attendee, the top holder of the coin, Justin Sun, is facing charges from the Securities and Exchange Commission for cryptocurrency-related fraud. But the Trump administration paused the charges after Sun funnelled tens of millions of dollars to various Trump-affiliated projects.
Similarly, The New York Times reported Tuesday that Trump pardoned a man awaiting prison time for tax fraud after his mother attended one of Trump’s $1 million per plate fundraising dinners at Mar-a-Lago earlier this year.
Paul Walczak, a former nursing home executive who pled guilty to stealing millions of dollars from employee tax payments, was supposed to pay $4.4 million in restitution and serve an 18-month sentence. But, just weeks after the dinner, which advertised access to Trump himself, the president pardoned Walczak instead.
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