U.S. President Donald Trump has been accused of soliciting gifts by Public Citizen over his controversial Trump meme coin, a February 5 letter from the consumer advocacy collective to officials at the Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) shows.
Trump Meme Coin In Hot Water, Public Citizen Says
According to the Wednesday letter addressed to DOJ Public Integrity Section Chief John Keller and OGE Director David Huitema, the current U.S. President may accept gifts during his term so long as he doesn’t “solicit or coerce” them.
Public Citizen argues that the President’s rollout of his highly publicized namesake meme coin, TRUMP, violates regulatory requirements on the assumption that the buyer is not purchasing a tangible product.
“The person receives only a digital receipt (on a blockchain), which is similar to a donor sending a check and receiving digital confirmation that the check was received,” the letter states.
“In short, it appears Trump is not soliciting money in exchange for an investment or tangible product (such as a Bible, sports shoes, or a guitar), but soliciting money in exchange for nothing—that is, asking for a gift that will benefit him personally,” the organization added.
The consumer advocacy group further claims that the nature of Trump’s meme coin may violate the Constitution given that foreign state actors may be gifting the president by purchasing the crypto product. “We urge you to investigate this issue, as well,” the group says.
Donald Trump Takes The Oval Office
News of Public Citizen’s accusation comes just weeks after Trump was inaugurated into the Oval Office on January 20, 2025.
Just a few days prior, Trump and his wife, Melania, launched their respective meme coins, prompting a surge of public interest in the digital asset sector as a whole.
According to a January 22 report from Time, the former reality television star was noted as having controlled an estimated 80 percent of TRUMP’s supply.
Trump’s meme coin has received both praise and criticism from members of the cryptocurrency community who feel it may negatively impact the public’s view of the digital asset industry.
Trump widely campaigned on a pro-crypto stance, promising to enact crypto-friendly regulations while restructuring federal agencies to benefit the blockchain sector during his second term in the White House.
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