House Speaker Johnson Evades Questions on Trump Crypto Dinner

House Speaker Mike Johnson has sidestepped calls for transparency regarding a private dinner hosted by Donald Trump, which was attended by top investors in the Trump-themed meme coin “TRUMP.” The event, held on May 23 at the Trump National Golf Club in Virginia, has raised concerns about ethics and political influence in the growing intersection of crypto and Washington power.

During a May 25 interview, host Jake Tapper pressed Johnson about the lack of transparency surrounding the event, noting that the list of attendees had not been released. Johnson, however, declined to provide any details about the dinner or its attendees, stating that he was unaware of the event and had been focused on other legislative matters. He also praised Trump, calling him “one of the greatest dealmakers of all time.”

Democratic lawmakers have intensified their scrutiny over Trump’s crypto dealings following the private dinner. They have called for a full attendee list, citing potential violations of federal bribery laws and the Constitution’s foreign emoluments clause. A report indicated that many attendees were likely foreign nationals, including Tron CEO Justin Sun, BitMart CEO Sheldon Xia, and Australian crypto entrepreneur Kain Warwick.

In response to these concerns, House Democrats led by Rep. Maxine Waters introduced the “Stop TRUMP in Crypto Act,” which aims to prevent Trump and his family from profiting from crypto ventures while in or seeking office. The bill has support from 14 lawmakers and seeks to address Trump’s alleged financial gains from the TRUMP token and his ties to World Liberty Financial and its stablecoin, USD1.

Senate leaders are also considering further amendments to the GENIUS Act to restrict public officials’ involvement in digital currencies. The growing scrutiny and legislative countermeasures reflect a broader Republican strategy of deflecting oversight while Democrats mobilize to address concerns about transparency and potential corruption in the crypto industry.