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Tim Miller
Hey guys, I just got off with.
Unknown Speaker
Nicole Wallace and Michelle Norris over on msnbc and I was going off on this dinner that happened tonight where Donald Trump brought the biggest investors, biggest contributors, the biggest bribers into his shitcoin to a personal dinner with him. Among the investors included Justin sun, the guy I've been talking about a lot on here, this Chinese crypto magnate who is under investigation by the DOJ under the Trump, under the Biden administration, those investigations have been wiped clean. Under the Trump administration, He put in 50 million at least into Trump's coins. He will be there, a bunch of other folks. This is an unprecedented scandal. The corruption is insane. Earlier today in the press conference, Carolyn.
Tim Miller
Levitt said that Trump was doing this.
Unknown Speaker
Dinner on his personal time. There is no personal time when you're the president. You don't have personal time. You're always the president. The people at the dinner know you're the president. It's not like, you know, they get men in black on the way out. It's just you get to have a fun hang with cigars and then he goes back to being the president. They know people that have invested in the coin have said that they're doing it to influence this White House. Trump is getting rich off this. It is unacceptable. It is unprecedented. And, and I saw a congressman say that Trump is coin operated. Yeah, he's bitcoin operated. His keys, cryptocurrency operated. Crypto coin operated. We'll play with that a little bit. This is a bribe. It's insane that there is not that people have gone along with it on Capitol Hill and geez, the ramifications are are going to be really serious down the line. I also talked a bit about the ongoing negotiations, if you want to call them that, in Ukraine, and the way that we are abandoning our ally. So you can check out a little bit of that as well. So stick around.
Tim Miller
Make sure you subscribe to this feed.
Unknown Speaker
Get all the content. I've got a bunch more coming for you tomorrow. An interesting AI interview, a juicy interview, maybe, if you will, and any breaking news as well.
Tim Miller
So subscribe to the feed.
Unknown Speaker
Stick around for me, Michelle Norris and Nicole Wallace.
Tim so let's bring you into this. If we go back into the Wayback Machine and we remember a time where this was something that we wouldn't expect to see, you know, from a sitting president, how would people have def responded to something like this? And what in particular concerns you most about this dinner? Because in listening to you talk about it, it sounds like this has really gotten under your skin.
Tim Miller
Well, it has, because it's absolutely outrageous. And just really quick on history, we have a sense for how people would have reacted. Spiro Agnew was vice president of the United States under Richard Nixon and got a deal where he received money from private interest that had interest in his home state of Maryland. I believe it was about $20,000, maybe about $100,000 in modern currency. And he was forced to resign. He was run out of the White House. Trump is taking in tens of millions, more, maybe hundred million. We don't exactly know exactly how much that he's taking in on the fees on this coin, on his ownership of the coin. He's already sold some of it, as we've seen. If you talk to crypto experts to kind of monitor his wallet, you can see that he's sold some of the coins to enrich himself. And, and their spin that this is not, you know, a way to influence him is belied by the people that have bought the coins. I mean, you mentioned Justin sun, this Chinese national who put in about 50 million into the bitcoin, or not in the bitcoin, excuse me, into the Trump coin. And, and he was being investigated by the US and now he's not anymore. So that was a pretty clear deal for him. You have this group called Freight Tech was a, it's a trucking company and they bought a bunch of Trump coin. And the CEO of the company said on the record that they're doing it because it, quote, provides a unique opportunity to champion free and fair trade across the US Mexico border in the interest of our customers with the president. So at least the people buying the coins think that they're getting something out of it. So this is a bribe under any other word. You know, we'll see how it actually shakes out with anything. But at least it is an attempted bribe. And we've had people like foreign Chinese nationals like Justin sun who have already gotten paid huge dividends out of this investment into this worthless coin. It is a scandal without precedent in American history. And the fact that we just kind of move on day to day because there's so much going on, I guess it's just the nature of the Trump administration, but I do think, because it's important to call it out and just speak specifically about what's happening because it is confusing for people. A lot of people don't really understand what's happening with these alternative coins.
Unknown Speaker
Tim Miller, it's uncomfortable to watch that scene in the Oval Office. It is also pre gold gilded mantle being set up. So it does mark some time between the ambush of President Zelensky and the ambush yesterday of the president of South Africa. It is clear that humiliating world leaders is a tactic that Trump is comfortable turning to, not an accidental emotional outburst. That, too, feels like a mile marker in our descent on the world stage.
Tim Miller
For sure. And look, if you're an ally of this country, you know, throughout, you know, all of the Post World War II era could feel like you could come to the White House and get candid feedback behind the scenes, behind the cameras as you negotiate and talk about issues potentially between the two countries. But there's never a fear that the cameras would turn on and that you would get browbeaten by somebody who wants to puff himself up and seem tough for his imaginary reality show. And so obviously, that is something that leaders throughout the world are going to have to start to think about when they think about how to deal with this person. And particularly with regards to Ukraine and the South Africa scene was just so ridiculous and appalling yesterday. And obviously so much of what he said wasn't true. But in the Ukraine situation, we really are in a life or death moment right now. And every signal since that White House meeting has been that they're ready to just wash their hands of this. I mean, Judy Vance at a press conference the other day where basically said, look, if Putin doesn't want to come to the table, then we're just going to have to, you know, let Putin and Zelensky figure it out without us. I mean, that's an invitation to Putin to not come to the table. He's basically saying, look, if you stall, we're about right. We're about sick of this. We're about tired of this. So, you know, that is either actively trying to send a positive message to Putin because you're on his side, or passively allowing him to get what he wants.
Title: Trump’s Crypto Bribe Dinner: Tim Miller Exposes It All
Host/Author: The Bulwark
Release Date: May 23, 2025
In this compelling episode of Bulwark Takes, host Tim Miller delves into a significant political scandal involving former President Donald Trump and his alleged use of cryptocurrency as a means of bribery. Joined by journalists Nicole Wallace and Michelle Norris from MSNBC, the discussion unpacks the implications of Trump's recent actions and their broader impact on American politics and international relations.
Tim Miller opens the conversation by detailing a controversial dinner hosted by Donald Trump, where prominent investors and major contributors were invited to discuss "Trump's shitcoin," a cryptocurrency associated with Trump. Among the attendees was Justin Sun, a notable Chinese crypto magnate currently under investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) during both the Trump and Biden administrations.
Notable Quote:
"This is an unprecedented scandal. The corruption is insane."
— Tim Miller [00:46]
Miller reveals that under Trump's administration, Justin Sun invested at least $50 million into Trump's cryptocurrency, a move that seemingly absolved him from previous DOJ investigations. This financial entanglement suggests a clear quid pro quo, where investments may be used to influence presidential actions.
Drawing parallels to historical precedents, Miller references Spiro Agnew, the Vice President under Richard Nixon, who was forced to resign after accepting significant funds from private interests. However, Miller emphasizes the scale of corruption in the current situation, noting that Trump is allegedly receiving tens to hundreds of millions from his cryptocurrency ventures—vastly surpassing Agnew's scandal.
Notable Quote:
"Trump is taking in tens of millions, more, maybe hundred million."
— Tim Miller [04:00]
The discussion highlights the alarming difference in severity and the potential long-term implications of such financial dealings at the highest level of government.
The conversation shifts to the ramifications of these actions on U.S. foreign policy, particularly concerning Ukraine and South Africa. Miller criticizes the Trump administration's handling of international alliances and negotiations, suggesting that financial corruption is undermining America's stance and commitments abroad.
Notable Quote:
"In the Ukraine situation, we really are in a life or death moment right now."
— Tim Miller [05:30]
He further criticizes statements from U.S. officials that appear to abdicate responsibility, thereby weakening international alliances and emboldening adversaries like Putin.
Nicole Wallace and Michelle Norris probe the public and political response to Trump's actions. They discuss the normalization of such corruption and the potential future consequences if these issues remain unaddressed. The trio underscores the confusion among the public regarding the complexities of cryptocurrency and its role in political bribery.
Notable Quote:
"It is a scandal without precedent in American history."
— Tim Miller [05:15]
They express concern over the lack of accountability and the dangers of allowing such practices to continue unchecked within the government.
As the episode wraps up, Tim Miller urges listeners to stay informed and critically assess the evolving political landscape shaped by these scandals. He emphasizes the necessity of vigilance in maintaining democratic integrity and preventing financial corruption from eroding governmental trust.
Notable Quote:
"It is important to call it out and just speak specifically about what's happening because it is confusing for people."
— Tim Miller [05:50]
Miller concludes by highlighting the need for transparency and accountability to safeguard the nation's democratic institutions and international relationships.
This episode of Bulwark Takes offers a thorough examination of the intricate ties between cryptocurrency and political corruption, shedding light on the potential threats to democracy and international stability posed by such developments.