As a Parisian, I’ve been looking at America with both hope and… yikes, confusion for so long. This is supposed to be the land of opportunity. It’s the sort of place where the lines between wealth, influence and morality dissolve into a staggering, borderline cartoonish tangle. Nothing illustrates this better than Donald Trump’s very real, very exclusive dinner he’s planning for his best TRUMP coin holders. Mon Dieu, quel spectacle! It truly competes with a Molière play, filled with such unapologetic satire that you have no choice but to respect its sheer boldness.

Selling Access, Parisian Outrage

Imagine a past president of France holding a closed-door banquet— This event is a winner-take-all auction that assembles the best potential buyers of his customized cryptotokens. Can you hear the uproar?… the cries of ‘Scandale!’ resounding through the chambers of the Assemblée Nationale? In France, a more egregious form of trading access for profit prompts instantaneous criminal investigations. The consequences for those at fault are often criminal charges and public shaming of a scale rarely seen. The atmosphere would be saturated with the odor of ‘fromagerie’ and graft!

Here, it's… expected? A former president launching his own cryptocurrency? It's wild!

Meme Coins, Serious Corruption?

Buy TRUMP coin TRUMP coin is just another meme coin. It functions as a kooky digital novelty, fueled by speculation and influencer prestige, which deepens the irony of this circus even further. We're not talking about serious blockchain innovation here; we're talking about digital Beanie Babies for the MAGA crowd. This shiny veneer of exclusivity provides unprecedented direct access to a former president. It might encourage influence peddling, or worse, outright bribery. It’s a nightmare scenario to imagine that a foreigner might be able to waltz right into Mar-a-Lago, packed full of crypto dollars. Picture this scene as they jerk Trump around! C'est Magnifique!

It's not just about the money. Consider the lack of transparency. The true identities of these dinner guests are hidden behind the veil of cryptocurrency transactions. Who are these people? What are their motives? Or are they foreign actors trying to gain influence with a future president-in-the-making? The opportunities are as limitless as they are creepy. It's like a modern-day Masque de fer, only instead of a velvet mask, they're hidden behind a blockchain.

American Dream, Corrupted Nightmare?

This is especially evident in Trump’s shifting attitude towards crypto. He went from calling Bitcoin a scam to going all in on Bitcoin. This change occurred right at the moment that he released his own coin. It’s a cynical pivot, to be sure, motivated by short-term profit margin expansion rather than conviction in the technology. His sons—Eric and Donald Jr.—are deep in the weeds of crypto grift. This engagement only enhances the perception that this is a family affair—just like the Medicis, but with more gold leaf and fewer paintings by genius boomers.

The Genius Act, meant to cool down the stablecoin craze, now at risk of being blocked thanks to the Trump family’s crypto shenanigans? Quel dommage! It’s an even better illustration of how unchecked ambition can quickly hijack good intentions.

Ultimately, Trump's crypto dinner is a symptom of a larger problem: the normalization of corruption in American politics. Buying and selling access to power is not only unethical, it destroys the very foundations of our democracy. This notion is incredibly insidious and corrosive to our democratic ideals. This system allows the rich and powerful to have a far greater impact on policy than the average American. In the process, everyday people are left out and muzzled.

Maybe that’s what Americans need to do and hold our leaders to a greater level of ethical behavior. Now is the moment to tell ‘Non!’ to this obvious rent-seeking behavior. We need to fight for a democracy where power isn’t up for grabs to the highest bidder. Allez, l'Amérique, réveillez-vous! Wake up!