- President Trump endorsed the TRUMP token on TruthSocial, causing a brief price surge to $12.25 before experiencing volatility.
- Trump-affiliated companies hold 80% of the token’s supply, raising constitutional and ethical concerns about conflicts of interest.
- Legal experts highlight potential violations of the Emoluments Clauses, Separation of Powers, and Equal Protection principles.
President Donald Trump directly promoted the Official Trump (TRUMP) token on TruthSocial Sunday, endorsing the Solana-based meme coin in which his affiliated companies hold an 80% stake. The endorsement triggered a brief price surge to $12.25 before settling at $11.67, still down 84% from its January all-time high.
Trump enthusiastically posted, “I LOVE $TRUMP—SO COOL!!! The Greatest of them all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” at 10:33 AM ET Sunday. Despite the presidential promotion, market response was muted compared to prior fluctuations.
“A sign that the market is no longer excitable about the Trump token,” observed Luis Buenaventura, head of crypto at GCash, in comments to Decrypt, noting investors still recognize “its potential for small profits in short timescales.”
The token’s official website disclaims investment intentions, yet its value proposition remains fundamentally tied to the Trump brand and his ongoing promotion efforts.
## Constitutional Red Flags
This unprecedented situation—a sitting U.S. president promoting a crypto asset benefiting his business interests—has attracted significant scrutiny from ethics watchdogs and industry experts.
Andrew Rossow, digital media attorney and CEO of AR Media, identified three major constitutional concerns in his analysis for Decrypt. First among these is potential violation of the Emoluments Clauses (Article 1, Sec. 9), which prohibit presidents from receiving financial benefits from domestic or foreign entities without congressional approval.
Rossow explained that the token’s structure potentially enables “foreign actors to purchase tokens anonymously, potentially violating these clauses by enabling indirect financial gains or undue foreign influence” over American policy.
The second concern involves Separation of Powers (Article II, Section 3), with Trump’s token endorsement potentially undermining regulatory authorities like the SEC and CFTC, according to Rossow.
The third issue relates to Fifth Amendment provisions for Equal Protection and Due Process, as preferential treatment for Trump-affiliated tokens could create market inequalities disadvantaging competitors.
## Ownership Structure Raises Questions
CIC Digital LLC, listed in Trump’s financial disclosures as his company, along with Fight Fight Fight LLC, control the vast majority of the token according to official documentation. These entities benefit directly from increased trading activity and price appreciation.
Federal ethics laws, Rossow noted, “prohibit public officials from engaging in activities that create conflicts between their public duties and private interests.” The 80% ownership stake “directly conflicts with his role as president” and “undermines public trust in impartial governance.”
Earlier this month, World Liberty Financial, a decentralized finance project associated with the Trump family and principals of DT Marks DeFi LLC, generated approximately $390 million from its second token sale round.
The TRUMP token launch follows President Trump’s campaign commitments to establish American leadership in cryptocurrency, including proposals to create a strategic Bitcoin reserve and modify the Federal Reserve’s independence through targeted crypto policies.
Representatives for President Trump did not immediately respond to Decrypt’s request for comment.
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