- Mike Johnson on Sunday brushed off concerns over Trump’s recent meme coin dinner.
- Johnson told CNN he didn’t know details about the dinner but said Trump was transparent.
- “He has nothing to hide, and he’s out there trying to advance America’s interests,” Johnson said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson brushed off concerns on Sunday about President Donald Trump’s private meme coin dinner, arguing that the president does “everything out in the open.”
While speaking with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Johnson said he had no knowledge of the private dinner, which raised concerns from some lawmakers over conflicts of interest and whether attendees were seeking to sway Trump on cryptocurrency policy.
When Johnson was asked about the lack of disclosure regarding the list of attendees at the meme coin dinner, the speaker said the president had “nothing to hide.”
“President Trump is the most transparent president in the most transparent administration, probably in history,” he said.
“President Trump does everything out in the open. He’s not trying to hide anything,” Johnson added. “There’s no shell companies or fake LLCs or fake family businesses. He’s putting it out there so everybody can evaluate for themselves.”
Trump's crypto ventures, including the launch of his own meme coin in January and the dinner for the coin's top 220 investors, raised concerns from a group of Senate Democrats who have pressed for greater ethics standards, including in the recently passed GENIUS Act.
Johnson played a leading role in shepherding Trump's "one big, beautiful bill" through the House last Thursday, a huge victory for the GOP.
However, the bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate, where several Republicans have expressed concerns over its effects on the federal deficit, as well as the impact of Medicaid cuts, higher state and local tax deductions, and the phasing out of clean energy tax credits.