Trump Faces Accusations of ‘Pump and Dump’ as Market Sees Back-to-Back Launches

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Donald Trump and his family find themselves under fire following the back-to-back launches of memecoins bearing their names. The former U.S. president’s self-branded token, Official Trump (TRUMP), debuted with explosive success, briefly hitting a $15 billion market cap.

However, less than 24 hours later, Melania Trump introduced her own memecoin, MELANIA, which soared to $13 billion before losing nearly half its value. Critics have labeled the ventures as a “pump and dump scheme,” alleging the launches were designed to cash in at the expense of unsuspecting traders.

Financial experts and industry insiders were quick to voice their concerns. Jim Bianco, president of Bianco Research, stated on X, “Trump’s success with TRUMP made him greedy,” pointing to the abrupt launch of Melania’s token as a move that undermined the market’s confidence. The timing of the second launch raised eyebrows, as it coincided with a 38% drop in TRUMP’s value, sparking fears of oversaturation and intentional manipulation.

Melania’s Memecoin Debut

Melania Trump’s self-titled memecoin, MELANIA, quickly gained attention for its dramatic price action. While it initially reached a peak market cap of $13 billion within hours, it soon tumbled to $7.3 billion. Analysts have called this a textbook case of market dilution.

Edward Dowd, founder of Phinance Technologies, described the scenario as “the largest unforced error before a Presidential inauguration.” Others, like financial analyst Michael A. Gayed outright accused the Trumps of orchestrating a pump-and-dump scheme, questioning the ethical implications of their actions.

Adding fuel to the controversy, Delphi Labs co-founder José Maria Macedo suggested on X that the Trumps rushed the launch of $MELANIA to maximize personal gains. “In their greed, they destroyed $30 billion in value and transformed the optics into pure grift,” he remarked.

Market Fallout and Accusations of Greed

The fallout from the memecoin launches has not been limited to the Trump-branded tokens. Ryan Selkis, former Messari CEO and a Trump supporter, went as far as urging the president-elect to “fire” the individuals behind MELANIA’s launch, stating that their actions were damaging Trump’s credibility.

Despite the uproar, the combined market cap of TRUMP and MELANIA still exceeds $16 billion, demonstrating their unparalleled ability to capture trader interest.

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