New video shows Trump may have violated federal law at crypto event: attorney
A criminal law attorney warned late Friday that a new video appears to show President Donald Trump ran afoul of federal laws when he took the stage at a private dinner event for investors of his meme coin.
Trump hosted more than 200 top investors in his personal $TRUMP meme coin on Thursday night at an exclusive, high-profile dinner at his private golf club in Sterling, Virginia. The event rewarded the largest investors in his cryptocurrency venture, something that even ardent MAGA fans have raised concerns over.
A video surfaced late Friday, purportedly showing the president addressing attendees.
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"The country is doing really well. We have no inflation. Costs are way down. Oil was just at $1.99, $1.98 a gallon, which we haven’t seen in years," he told guests in the video.
Tracey Beryl Gallagher, a public defender in California and former judge pro team, took to X to flag a small — yet important — detail in the video
"He is talking behind a podium bearing the Presidential Seal," she noted. "The Presidential Seal is governed by strict regulations under federal law, primarily 18 U.S.C. § 713 and Executive Order 11649."
Those rules, she said, limit its use to "official government purposes to preserve its symbolic integrity."
"Using the seal at a personal, for-profit event like a money-making speaking engagement or private fundraiser would likely violate these regulations, as it could imply official government endorsement of a private activity," she wrote. "The law prohibits using the seal in a manner that suggests government approval or affiliation for non-official events."
Gallagher pointed to cases including United States v. Sindel from 1995, where misuse of government insignia led to penalties. While some exceptions are allowed for certain ceremonial or educational uses, such as replicas at presidential libraries, "personal financial gain doesn’t qualify," she noted.