Trump's two encryption dinners in May: tickets priced at 1.5 million dollars criticized as bribery, Trump retaliates against lawmakers' stock trading behavior.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly embraced the Crypto Assets and AI industries, but his close involvement with related projects alongside his family has raised increasing political and ethical concerns. Following criticisms from Senator Elizabeth Warren and others, Trump not only did not back down but also announced he would host two controversial dinners in May, igniting public opinion.

Trump announces an encryption and AI gala, with ticket prices reaching 1.5 million dollars per person.

Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social this Monday, announcing that he will host a "Crypto & AI Innovators Dinner" later this month in Washington, organized by his pro-Trump super PAC MAGA Inc. This event is seen as a political fundraising effort, with invitations extended to prominent figures in the Crypto Assets and AI fields, including the most notable guest, Silicon Valley investor David Sacks, who has been dubbed the "Crypto Assets Tsar."

According to CNBC, the entry threshold for this dinner is not low, with a starting price of 1.5 million dollars per person, making it one of the most expensive political fundraising events in recent years. There is a general belief that this dinner will significantly enhance Trump's connections with the tech industry, while also potentially raising more concerns about conflicts of interest.

$TRUMP token dinner ignites price surge, criticized as a "political ticket"

In addition to the AI and encryption innovators' dinner, Trump also plans to hold another exclusive dinner and White House visit event for "$TRUMP coin supporters" on May 22. This event is specifically for major holders, and the announcement has already pushed the price of the coin up by over 50%. This move has sparked strong criticism from some politicians in Washington.

Senator Warren and Congressman Adam Schiff pointed out in a joint letter that Trump's actions are akin to exchanging political power for private business investments, which is a blatant transfer of benefits. "This is a roundabout way of selling presidential-level access," they wrote.

In the face of doubt, Trump claimed "I didn't make money, and I don't care about the price."

During an interview with NBC reporter Kristen Welker, Trump downplayed the issue of conflicts of interest and responded by asking, "Why don't you tell me how much this coin is worth now? I really don't know." He emphasized that he has not profited from it and that the plan was initiated long before the election.

Trump added: "I support Crypto Assets because if we don't, China will take the lead. This is the trend of the future, very popular." He also hit back at critics, stating that politicians like Warren and Pelosi are the ones who use their positions to manipulate the stock market.

80% of the tokens are controlled by the Trump family, and 3.25 million transaction fees flow into internal wallets.

According to the analysis agency Chainalysis and data from the official website, the $TRUMP token has seen over $325 million in transaction fees flow into wallets associated with the Trump family since its launch in January, with approximately 80% of the supply still controlled by Trump Enterprises and its partners.

Such a high degree of centralization and opaque flow of funds raises concerns that this coin may become a potential conduit for foreign influence infiltration and political lobbying. Particularly, one of the known investors, Justin Sun, is seen as a major financier of another DeFi project associated with the Trump family and is also listed as one of the largest holders of the TRUMP token.

Divergent views in the legal community: perhaps not illegal, but moral doubts remain.

Regarding Trump's close involvement in Crypto Assets, opinions in the industry and legal circles diverge. Wormhole's Chief Legal Counsel Cathy Yoon stated: "This is not necessarily illegal, but from the perspective of integrity and public service ethics, there are indeed many questions."

Another blockchain lawyer, Olta Andoni, stated that Trump did not directly promote this coin, making it difficult to convict him from a legal standpoint. "It's just like other meme coins, the timing might not be right." She added, "Starting from NFTs to the current tokens, I believe he will even get involved in AI projects next."

The blurred lines between technology and politics are becoming increasingly vague.

Trump's two crypto asset dinners have become one of the most controversial events in American politics. Although the combination of technological innovation and political dialogue may be a future trend, such interactions could also bring unprecedented risks in the absence of clear regulatory mechanisms. Whether voters and regulatory bodies can effectively distinguish between innovation and abuse of power will be an important indicator to observe in the coming months.

This article discusses Trump's two encryption dinners in May: the ticket price of 1.5 million dollars faced criticism for bribery, and Trump retaliated against lawmakers' stock trading behavior, first appearing in Chain News ABMedia.