Ethics watchdogs have warned that Trump and Melania ‘mean to make as much money as they can” during his second term in office.
For instance, just days before he took office, Trump introduced a memecoin called $TRUMP to “celebrate our win and have fun,” warning that it was “not intended to be … an investment opportunity.” Trump announced the launch on X and Truth Social, and soon, his MAGA followers were buying them up.
Melania Trump also launched her own memecoin, and while it hasn’t reached the level of Trump’s memecoin, the $MELANIA coin was valued at $8 billion on Monday.
Notably, Trump was late to sign an ethics pledge — signed by every President — so there would be no conflicts of interest, and when he finally did, there was some key language missing.
Grifting and cash grabs are not new to the President; his sycophantic supporters have embraced a wide variety of schemes, including glitzy gold sneakers, a Trunmp bible (printed in China), and other tacky offerings.
Lisa Gilbert, co-president of the liberal group Public Citizen, warned that the second Trump administration likely wouldn’t pay “lip service” to the ethics guardrails that were in place during his first.
“This time, it feels like the gloves are off, and they have no intention of comporting themselves with the decorum and ethical standards of other administrations,” Gilbert told the network. “They truly mean to make as much as they can on the backs of the American taxpayer.”