President Donald Trump’s meme coin, $TRUMP, has experienced a significant surge in value following an announcement offering a private dinner with the former president to the token’s top holders. The price of $TRUMP jumped as much as 58% on Wednesday, reaching $14.32, after the dinner offer was posted on the coin’s website and X account.
The exclusive dinner, scheduled for May 22, 2025, at Trump National Golf Club in Washington, D.C., is open to the top 220 holders of the $TRUMP token. The top 25 holders will also receive a VIP reception and a special tour. To qualify, holdings are assessed between April 23 and May 12.
This offer has created a frenzy among investors, eager to secure a spot at the dinner and the exclusive perks that come with it. The $TRUMP coin website features a live leaderboard, updating hourly, intensifying the competition to accumulate and hold the token.
Despite the recent price surge, $TRUMP remains significantly below its peak of $75.35, reached on January 19, the day before President Trump’s inauguration. The coin, launched just prior to his taking office, experienced an initial meteoric rise before a substantial decline.
The dinner invitation has injected new life into the meme coin, which had seen its value plummet. Analysts suggest that this strategy of offering real-world access and experiences linked to the token is a novel approach in the meme coin space, potentially creating a longer-term value proposition beyond mere speculation.
However, the initiative has drawn criticism from ethics watchdogs, who argue that it blurs the lines between political access and financial investment, potentially opening avenues for influence peddling. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) described the offer on social media as “brazenly corrupt.”
Despite the ethical concerns, the market response has been undeniable. The price of $TRUMP has rallied strongly, providing a windfall for those who held onto the digital asset through its earlier slump. The coming weeks will reveal whether this novel strategy can sustain the coin’s value and what implications it holds for the intersection of cryptocurrency, celebrity, and political access.