Economist Peter Schiff says President Donald Trump’s meme coins serve as a legal channel for bribery. He argues that buyers of the tokens pay for access to the president.

The claim lands days after a federal disclosure showed over $1 billion in crypto income for Trump in 2025. Meanwhile, both tokens sit just above record lows set in June.

Why Schiff Says Trump Meme Coins Work as Bribes

In the latest episode of The Peter Schiff Show, the economist pointed to the decline in valuations of the TRUMP and MELANIA meme coin. CoinGecko data shows TRUMP traded at $1.71 today, nearly 98% below its January 2025 peak of $73.43. 

Meanwhile, MELANIA trades near $0.078, more than 99% under its $13.05 high. The sharp decline has left many investors facing significant losses. 

The Wall Street Journal, citing Nansen data, reported that about two-thirds of holders of Trump’s meme coin are currently in the red. The trend extends beyond meme coins, with around 85% of investors who purchased World Liberty’s WLFI token on the secondary market also sitting on unrealized losses.

However, Schiff said many buyers were not buying the tokens as investments. He argued that those who put serious money into TRUMP were purchasing the president’s attention rather than an asset.

He cited events he said Trump held at the White House for the largest TRUMP holders.

“He’s actually had events at the White House where the top owners of Trump coin are allowed to attend. But it’s really a way to bribe the president. You don’t have to give him money directly, just buy his token, because who else would buy the token? It’s a lousy investment,” he said.

Trump’s 927-page filing shows CIC Digital earned about $636 million in meme coin royalties last year. The disclosure also lists roughly $515 million from World Liberty Financial token sales.

“Everybody named Trump is making money, but the people who bought those tokens lost everything on those tokens,” the economist added.

The family’s wider crypto empire has already drawn scrutiny from senators. In January 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Jake Auchincloss warned the coins gave foreign buyers a way to “curry influence with the administration.”

Source: BeInCrypto