During Donald Trump’s exclusive dinner on Thursday, May 22, for the 220 biggest buyers of his $TRUMP meme coin, the president joked about his assassination attempt by pretending to be shot in the ear.
“Did you know that just before the election, they went all crypto? You know that, right?” Trump asked the attendees before a loud thump could be heard in the silence.
“Whoops… My ear!” the president remarked as he grabbed the ear that Thomas Matthew Crooks shot in July 2024 at a Pennsylvania rally.
After a clip of the moment went viral on X, Trump was ripped apart for joking about the assassination, which claimed the life of the shooter — and almost his own.
“This has to be the most disgusting display anyone has done this year,” wrote one. “Donald Trump pretending to be hit in the ear. This may be why some people have even suggested that the assassination attempt in Butler was faked too.”
“Well, when you practice so hard for a performance, you don’t wanna do it just one time,” another suggested.
“How sad to be that willing to be conned by a convicted felon,” said a third critic of the attendees who laughed as Trump made his joke.
“His easiness and cavalier attitude towards an alleged assassination attempt tells you everything you need to know about what really happened. It was all bull—-,” a fourth noted.
Trump’s private crypto event was held at his exclusive golf club in Virginia, where invitees gained access by taking part in an auction to determine who had the largest holdings of Trump’s meme coin between April 23 and May 12.
Though Trump’s joke appeared to be perfect timing, the description of the private event used the assassination attempt to promote it.
“On July 13, 2024, President Trump faced death and came up fighting! With his fist in the air and the iconic battle cry FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT, President Trump showed the world what a LEADER is made of,” the statement on the coin’s webpage said. “His strength and courage ignited a movement, becoming the most memorable meme of the century.”
