A high-profile dinner hosted by Donald Trump for top holders of the TRUMP memecoin is making headlines—but not necessarily for the reasons one might expect. What was intended as an exclusive event celebrating crypto enthusiasm and loyalty to the former president ended up drawing criticism, particularly from one outspoken guest who described the experience as underwhelming on multiple fronts.
Nicholas Pinto, a TikTok personality known for his pranks and offbeat commentary, attended the May 22 gathering at Trump National Golf Club in Virginia after investing around $300,000 in the Official Trump (TRUMP) token. However, his hefty investment didn’t translate into a satisfying experience. In an interview with WIRED on May 23, Pinto bluntly declared the dinner “the worst food I’ve ever had at a Trump golf course,” noting that he left the event still hungry.
The menu, while seemingly upscale on paper, failed to impress. Guests were served a “Trump organic field green salad,” followed by a filet mignon and pan-seared halibut accompanied by mashed potatoes and a vegetable medley. Dessert consisted of a lava cake. Despite the elegant descriptions, Pinto wasn’t shy about his opinion. Speaking with Fortune, he compared the filet mignon to a “Walmart steak,” calling it outright “trash.”
“The only thing that was actually decent was the bread and butter,” Pinto quipped. “Honestly, I was hoping for Big Macs or pizza—at least then I wouldn’t have left hungry.”
Other attendees echoed similar sentiments, with several describing the food as merely “OK” and far from the gourmet quality one might expect from such a high-ticket event. The dinner was reportedly open only to the top 220 TRUMP token holders—individuals who had each spent millions collectively to attend, some traveling from around the globe.
But Pinto’s disappointment didn’t stop at the dining experience. He also had harsh words for Trump’s speech, which he described as “pretty much like bullshit.” According to videos circulating on social media, Trump addressed the audience briefly, reading from a script. In his remarks, he acknowledged the growing interest in cryptocurrency and hinted at its potential future.
“You believe in the whole crypto thing,” Trump said. “A lot of people are starting to believe in it … This is really something that may be special — who knows, right?”
Pinto, however, found little substance in the message and was further let down by Trump’s quick exit after the speech. Reportedly, Trump did not stay to personally thank attendees or present them with watches, a gesture that had been anticipated by some guests.
While the dinner may have been positioned as a celebration of Trump’s alignment with the crypto community, the fallout from the event could have larger implications. A group of 35 Democratic lawmakers is now calling on the Justice Department to investigate the dinner, raising concerns that it may have violated federal bribery laws or the Constitution’s emoluments clause, which prohibits the U.S. president from accepting gifts or payments from foreign entities without Congressional approval.
This scrutiny stems from the fact that many of the top token holders in attendance reportedly came from outside the United States—an international mix that Trump himself acknowledged.
The event was designed to spotlight Trump’s embrace of the crypto space, but for Pinto and others, it seems to have fallen flat—both as a culinary affair and as a meaningful endorsement of digital currency. What remains now is a blend of online ridicule, political controversy, and a lingering question: Was this just another photo-op, or a real signal of Trump’s crypto intentions?
As for Pinto, his review was brutally honest: “If this is how crypto elites get treated, maybe I’ll stick to burgers and blockchain.”
