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Experts alarmed by Trumps’ crypto meme coins: ‘America voted for corruption’ (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 1 day ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/politics@lemmy.world

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Summary

Donald Trump faced backlash after launching the $TRUMP cryptocurrency meme coin, valued at billions, days before his inauguration.

Experts, including former ethics officials, called it a major conflict of interest, as Trump has pledged pro-crypto policies while profiting personally.

First Lady Melania also launched her own coin, $MELANIA.

Critics warn the coins, which lack intrinsic value and are highly volatile, could lead to lawsuits and public losses.

Ethics experts described the move as one of the worst conflicts of interest in modern U.S. presidential history.

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[-] ptz@dubvee.org 82 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

For my own mental health, I have to change "America voted for corruption" (which isn't necessarily wrong) to "Not enough Americans voted against corruption". Looking at you, everyone who stayed home or threw their vote away on non-viable third party protest votes.

[-] CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 1 day ago

Not that this helps, but it should be "Americans voted for white nationalism" and "Not enough people voted against racism".

[-] Madison420@lemmy.world 17 points 1 day ago

Because this wasn't going to happen anyway .. ok. Blame the low man on the ladder instead of the dnc for refusing to put forward a candidate that anyone actually wants or policies that people actually give a shit about. Repubs do whatever and make us deal with it all anyone really asked the dnc was to shove that same shit down their throats for once.

[-] Olgratin_Magmatoe@slrpnk.net 50 points 1 day ago

Both are culpable. But asking for people to actually fucking vote is the lowest of bars.

[-] Madison420@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

We should have mandatory voting with no disenfranchisement sure, giving them the option is giving them the option to abstain you have to imagine that was intentional.

[-] Olgratin_Magmatoe@slrpnk.net 7 points 1 day ago

I never said it wasn't.

[-] Madison420@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Then why cry because they didn't do things your way.

[-] Olgratin_Magmatoe@slrpnk.net 7 points 1 day ago

This sounds like projection.

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[-] AbidanYre@lemmy.world 33 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

It's the fault of everyone who didn't vote against this.

We all know how the system works. Staying at home because Harris didn't promise you a pony means you're ok with this because it was always the only other option.

[-] Madison420@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

You're not listening. I didn't say anything about Harris or her promises. I talked about the dnc not letting us have a candidate we actually like because they're centrists playing liberal left not actual Democrats on the international political scale.

All the rest is a result of that not the fucking cause.

[-] Nightwingdragon@lemmy.world 25 points 1 day ago

So instead of staying home because Harris didn't promise you a pony, you're saying you stayed home because the DNC didn't promise you a pony. End result is the same: You didn't get the god-perfect candidate, so you pulled a temper tantrum and let Trump return to power.

[-] Madison420@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

I specifically didn't say I did anything, you read into it what you believe makes your argument stronger.

I'm a felon, I couldn't vote in the last one anyway. I offered an opinion not an apology and you seem to be the one throwing the temper tantrum. Waaa waaa it's everyone else's problem, waaa waaa I voted I did my part, was was cry cry. People fuckin love to wear their sticker and think that's the end, it. Fucking. Isn't. All of these fucking Dems patting themselves on the back for doing the bare fucking minimum while the planet burns and government falls to business bafoons.

Yay, hope the sticker was worth it.

[-] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

You want more nazi man salutes! Got it!

("More nazi man salutes for table 4!")

[-] Madison420@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Yes because the person arguing we're not left enough is totally into fascism? Really, genius reply there boss.

[-] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

"Make it a double order!"

[-] Madison420@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

"i can't defend my statement so instead I'll try futility to make fun of you". It don't work because I don't care about your opinion on lemme check anything because you won't stand for what you say. Instead you do these drive-by quips that you somehow think are clever. Try harder at least, if you're going to be a douche be the best doucheiest douche.

[-] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 1 points 11 hours ago

The douchiest douche who ever douched? Oh man! Oh! This is so unexpected! Gosh! *snif*

I guess I'd like to thank my agent, Marty Petraskov over at GRU Artists, and the guys down at the Macedonian troll farm - Hey Dmitry! And of course Little Baby Internet Jesus! And all of you who still haven't figured out that one simple vote to stop trump was the most important decision you could have made in your political lives and you failed. Thank you! Goodnight!

[-] cm0002@lemmy.world 21 points 1 day ago

Oh yea because the last election cycle was the perfect time to "teach them dems a lesson at the polls" huh, oh yea they're really feeling it aren't they? Definitely isn't one of those "punishments" that ends up punishing the punisher more than the punishee...

[-] Madison420@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

If not now, when?

What election cycle was the correct one for it?

[-] cm0002@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago

Literally any other one, Nov 2024 was the final boss and it was fumbled. All signs were pointing towards MAGA imploding had Trump lost in November, now instead they're more emboldened than ever. Good job with your 'both sides' bullshit, you got what you wanted.

[-] Madison420@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

So Trump one, we could sit out no repercussions?

Honestly think about and listen to what you are saying.

I specifically never said both sides nor implied it, I pointed the finger very specifically one direction.

[-] earphone843@sh.itjust.works 15 points 1 day ago

Harris had a bunch of great policies that most people actually want, but people ignored everything because she didn't side with Palestinians (which was never going to happen regardless of the candidate). The media also didn't give her any coverage on them.

Was she the best choice for the Democrat candidate? No. Was she a better choice than Trump? Without a shadow of a doubt.

[-] nightwatch_admin@feddit.nl 2 points 1 day ago

A 2-weeks old road waffle was a better choice than a demented fascist grifter. It’s not that hard.

[-] Madison420@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

I didn't talk about her policies at all. Nor in fact did I say I did or didn't vote based on Palestine.

No she was objectively one of the worst and we got fucked three elections in a row out of Bernie the candidate everyone actually wanted specifically because the business monsters in charge of the dnc didn't think they could wrangle Bernie into toeing their line.

[-] Yawweee877h444@lemmy.world 19 points 1 day ago

Could this be the end of the American empire?

With this blatant and chaotic corruption, criminality, exploitation, cheating, and stealing, how could the US stay a world empire? Won't we just spiral out of control and everything that made us the world leader fade away, die off, emigrate, or become ineffectual?

If cheating is now encouraged by the highest leader and law of the land, why wouldn't it spread everywhere in our system?

I'm not hopeful. Scary times!

[-] SkyeStarfall 7 points 1 day ago

In my opinion, most likely yes!

But empires can take decades/centuries to fall. I'm aure it's different in the modern age with modern technology but america might still hold out for decades

I'd argue that the American Empire has been in decline for decades now, however

[-] jballs@sh.itjust.works 35 points 1 day ago

Donald Trump faced backlash...

Yeah, from people who have been crying foul about Trump for years now. Unfortunately his supporters just don't give a shit. Why aren't they asking Republican senators and representatives about the president launching his own currency? They're the dumb fucks that should be offering up backlash but aren't.

[-] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

The corporate news sewer spew begins. You can drink all you want, but it never gets any better and it costs a lot to do it.

[-] just_another_person@lemmy.world 43 points 1 day ago

"America" did not. I'm sick of these articles making it sound like he won big. He didn't. 1.43% . The smallest margin of victory in 25 years.

His idiot followers have no critical thinking skills and voted for all the lies he told them which they are up. They're going to be absolutely devastated under his presidency.

[-] Nougat@fedia.io 40 points 1 day ago

Don't forget all the qualified people who didn't vote at all, and instead just said "Meh, it's fine."

Not voting is a choice.

[-] TallonMetroid@lemmy.world 22 points 1 day ago

True, although personally I think "America didn't give enough of a shit to do even the bare minimum of voting" is no less damning.

[-] Nougat@fedia.io 16 points 1 day ago

That is precisely what I meant.

[-] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 15 points 1 day ago

They're not going to be devastated. No matter how much worse off they will become, they will think they are doing better because the mainstream media of Fox and OAN will tell them they are doing better than ever.

They were fighting for toilet paper under Trump.

[-] MeekerThanBeaker@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago

They won't be devastated. They'll continue to watch the same "news" that will tell them how great the country is doing no matter what happens... and then continue to say how awful the Democrats are, and to blame them for individual problems.

[-] samus12345@lemm.ee 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

A plurality of Americans voted for him. It wasn't even EC shenanigans this time. It wasn't a huge margin, no, but more Americans who voted wanted him than any other candidate.

[-] just_another_person@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

This is not the right use of the word "plurality". A "plurality" voted for Harris as well. Stop trying to disguise what you're saying.

Trump barely one, and it may have had to do with small segments voting in kind. It was not a landslide nor mandate.

[-] samus12345@lemm.ee 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

plurality: a number of votes cast for a candidate in a contest of more than two candidates that is greater than the number cast for any other candidate but not more than half the total votes cast

Trump: 77,303,568

Harris: 75,019,230

Others: 2,877,973

75,019,230 + 2,877,973 = 77,897,203

Trump won a plurality of votes. No, it was not a landslide or a mandate, and I never said it was.

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[-] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I'm sick of these articles

Let's be very clear that corporate news has failed so spectacularly, they can not recover from this. They will not change, and we shouldn't give them any benefit of doubt.

You will need to find a different way of getting the news than from CNN / NBC / NYT or whatever it used to be in the before-times.

[-] eran_morad@lemmy.world 30 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Yeah, no shit. We are a nation of fucking morons.

[-] earphone843@sh.itjust.works 21 points 1 day ago

Manufactured morons. That's been the Rs goal since Reagan at the latest.

[-] Rhaedas@fedia.io 16 points 1 day ago

Earlier. Southern Strategy, it's what helped Reagan get into power.

[-] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 5 points 23 hours ago

You have to be an expert to realize that?

[-] renzev@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

I don't have a problem with people launching meme coins for fun. They're consenting adults, if they want to risk thousands of dollars on a meme, that's their choice. But an elected official who has the power to pass laws regulating cryptocurrency doing it? Yikes.

[-] Today@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago

Really? Strump and Smelania?

[-] crusa187@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 day ago

Heh, yup. Whole lot of suckers about to be robbed of their last dollar in the next few years.

[-] zeppo@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Melania coin? Absurd.

[-] Thorry84@feddit.nl 6 points 1 day ago

After they duped idiots out of millions with the Trump coin, they quickly (in 1 day) threw together the Melania coin. Because they saw how easy it was to pump their base for money, so they just did it twice because why not?

No way this is legal, but with Trump that doesn't seem to matter one bit. They also state it has nothing to do with the presidency or any government related thing, but I don't really see how that's possible if it's the official coin of the (at time of launch) president elect. Not that any of this will ever go to court, but still.

I wouldn't be surprised if they release a Junior coin somewhere in the next months, the Trump base is so far gone they will continue to throw their money on the grift that is Trump.

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this post was submitted on 21 Jan 2025

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