Democrats Stage Walkout at Crypto Hearing Over Trump's Digital Asset Ventures
House Democrats, led by Rep. Maxine Waters, walked out of a joint congressional hearing on cryptocurrency, protesting President Donald Trump’s involvement in digital assets.
In a dramatic display of dissent, House Democrats, spearheaded by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), abruptly left a joint hearing of the Agriculture and Financial Services committees focused on cryptocurrency regulation. The walkout occurred moments after the meeting was called to order by Crypto Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.). Waters cited her objection as stemming from ’the corruption of the president of the United States and his ownership of crypto and his oversight of all the agencies.'
The Democrats’ frustration centers on President Trump’s alleged ties to the cryptocurrency industry, including his involvement with a meme coin and World Liberty Financial, as well as his family’s ventures, such as his sons’ Bitcoin-mining company. Waters, who serves as the ranking member of the Financial Services Committee, accused Republicans of ’legitimizing’ Trump’s ‘corruption’ and turning the presidency into a ‘personal moneymaking machine’ through his crypto business.
In response, the Democrats held their own ‘shadow hearing’ to address these concerns, featuring a panel of experts who criticized Trump and the Republicans’ handling of the cryptocurrency industry. The panelists emphasized the need for stronger regulation, which was the intended focus of the original joint hearing.
Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.), Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, responded to the walkout, stating that Republicans would continue working with legislators on both sides of the aisle to create a lasting regulatory framework for digital assets. The committee recently released a discussion draft of a bill aimed at establishing clear regulations for the industry and preventing ‘bad actors’ from thriving, aligning with Trump’s vision to make the U.S. the ‘crypto capital of the world.’