What Happened at the "Trump Gala"? Why Was It Met with Strong Opposition and Protests?  

TradingKey – The Trump Gala faced intense protests, with Congresswoman Maxine Waters accusing Trump of leveraging White House influence to promote his family’s crypto projects for personal gain.  

On Thursday, May 22, the "Trump Gala" took place at Trump National Golf Club in Washington, D.C.. As planned, President Donald Trump dined with 220 TRUMP Coin holders and delivered a speech.  

During the event, Trump addressed his support for crypto, stating:  "My push for cryptocurrency and Bitcoin is not driven by personal interests—rather, I believe this is the right direction for financial innovation."  

Trump further emphasized:  "We need to ensure that this massive market serves America. We cannot let China or other nations gain the upper hand. The dominance of cryptocurrency must remain in the hands of the United States—this is absolutely critical."  

According to Bloomberg, large crowds gathered outside the venue, loudly chanting "Shame!" to express their disapproval.  Criticism of the event largely stems from concerns over potential conflicts of interest.  Congresswoman Maxine Waters previously accused Trump of "exploiting White House power to promote and profit from a series of crypto projects connected to himself and his family."