Imagine him. Let’s call him Frank. Frank’s a 58-year-old retired construction worker from Ohio. He's got a bad back, a good heart, and a small pension he's trying to stretch. He saw the TRUMP coin, saw the promises of a better future, maybe even a black-tie dinner with the man himself. He invested $500 – a large portion of his personal savings – on a long shot with his fingers crossed for success. Now? More like the price of a cup of coffee or less than a tank of gas. Frank's not a sophisticated investor. He's a guy who believed in something, and now he's holding an empty bag. That’s the human cost the Democrats are conveniently brushing under the rug.

Whose Pain Are We Ignoring Here?

So, yes, the Democrats are definitely circling, knives sharpened, poised to carve up the TRUMP coin and its possible conflicts of interest. Now, they’re investigating the ties to Fight Fight Fight LLC and CIC Digital LLC. They are investigating the foreign investor ties. They’re investigating the black-tie dinner bounty. Those are all questions worth asking about that 80% of tokens that are going to unlock under an accelerated vesting schedule. And yes, those questions deserve answers. But ask yourself this: are they really concerned about Frank? Or do they simply view Frank’s misfortune as another bludgeon to use against Trump.

It might be tempting to villainize all of the people who invested in the TRUMP coin as get-rich-quick schemers or rubes. Here’s why it’s easy to focus on the 0.0075% who really crushed it. What of the 95-plus percent of people who are in the red? The dupes who believed they were investing in something grander than themselves? The ones who were definitely affected by a brand they recognized, as misdirected that recognition may eventually be? Or are we simply going to cast them aside as collateral damage in the political crossfire?

Hope Turned To Financial Heartbreak

Let's be clear: meme coins are risky. Investing in them is akin to gambling. Anyone who dumps their life savings into a pump-and-dump non-asset like TRUMP is making a reckless bet. Due diligence is crucial. Education about risk is essential. The world of crypto is deliberately opaque, filled with jargon and hype designed to prey on the uninformed. Not everybody has the time or the wonk-iness to figure it out. When a figure like Trump is out there to back a project, it carries considerable influence. This influence is undeniable, regardless of the strong fundies to go that way.

The Democrats are correct to call the Administration out on their possible conflicts of interest. Even more shocking is the possibility that this revenue is going straight to the Trump family’s pockets. And the promotional activities leading up to this black-tie dinner are an ethical nightmare. The investigation into World Liberty Financial (WLFI) is a good thing. So, don’t get us wrong—we absolutely support this as a step to protect the little guy. This is political theatre, and Frank is the unwitting stagehand.

Empathy's Missing From the Equation

It’s tempting to blame Trump entirely. There’s a perfectly good case to be made that he abused the trust of his supporters for his own financial benefit. The relationship with Justin Sun, founder of the Tron blockchain, makes things perhaps both more confusing and interesting. Moreover, the Emirati fund’s participation raises potential ethical issues. Playing the ultimate blame everyone card by demonizing everyone involved is a particularly pernicious political gambit. It dehumanizes the victims and lets the real issues fester.

We need to come face-to-face with the human cost of this disaster. We need to explore the psychology behind the people who bought the TRUMP coin. We must understand their decisions, even if we did not agree with them. We have to provide assistance and tools to the people who have lost out financially.

Instead of just pointing fingers and scoring political points, let's ask ourselves: What can be done to protect everyday investors from predatory schemes in the crypto world? In what other ways can we advance financial literacy and responsible investing? How do we make sure that the desire for justice does not lead us to abandon our most human impulse—empathy?

It’s time to look beyond the narrow 0.0075% of the iceberg and Trump’s possible illegality. Instead, let’s focus on the 99.9925% of humanity that is still trying to pick up the pieces. They are the true victims here, and they deserve our sympathy, not our contempt.

This article is an opinion piece and does not constitute financial advice. Always do your own research before investing in any cryptocurrency.