Trump's Legal and Crypto Controversies Escalate as Biden Warns of NATO Instability

Donald Trump's second term is marked by legal challenges and a controversial embrace of cryptocurrency. As of April 2025, multiple lawsuits, including State of California v. Trump, challenge his executive actions. Trump has also launched meme coins, raising ethical concerns. Former President Joe Biden criticized Trump's first 100 days, expressing concern over NATO's future and accusing Trump of undermining democratic values. Biden condemned Trump's foreign policy, particularly his stance on Ukraine and NATO, which has drawn criticism from European leaders and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

Trump’s Expanding Legal Challenges

Donald Trump’s second term has been shadowed by a growing list of legal entanglements. As of April 2025, multiple lawsuits have been filed against the Trump administration, many of which challenge the legality of executive actions and administrative conduct.

One of the most significant cases is State of California v. Trump (Case No. 1:25-cv-10810), filed on April 3, 2025, in the District of Massachusetts. Nineteen states are challenging six provisions of Executive Order 14248, titled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections.” Plaintiffs argue that Trump lacks the constitutional authority to impose sweeping changes to election law and are seeking judicial intervention to block the order’s implementation.

Several other cases, including League of Women Voters Education Fund v. Trump and Office of the President (complaint), have been consolidated under League of United Latin American Citizens v. Executive Office of the President. These cases, filed in April 2025, focus on alleged violations of civil liberties and executive overreach.

In a separate development, Judge Lee ordered a stay on March 18, 2025, in a case pending developments in Washington v. Trump and New Jersey v. Trump, both of which are under appellate review. Additionally, filings in Lentini v. Department of Government Efficiency and American Public Health Association v. Office of Budget and Management have been consolidated into the Public Citizen case, which recently introduced new evidence involving Elon Musk’s government role.

These legal proceedings reflect a broad and coordinated pushback against Trump’s governance style, with plaintiffs ranging from state governments to civil rights organizations.

Cryptocurrency and the Trump Administration

Parallel to his legal woes, Trump has aggressively embraced the cryptocurrency industry, reversing his earlier skepticism. Once a vocal critic of Bitcoin, Trump has now positioned himself as a champion of digital assets, launching initiatives that blur the lines between public policy and personal profit.

In April 2025, Trump signed an executive order establishing a government crypto reserve, to be funded by seized Bitcoin and select tokens with ties to his political network. “They’re going to make a lot of money for the country,” Trump said during the signing, flanked by his newly appointed crypto and AI czar, David Sacks.

Trump’s personal involvement in the crypto space has also intensified. He has launched two meme coins—$TRUMP and $MELANIA—and promoted them through exclusive events. On April 23, he announced that the top 220 holders of the $TRUMP coin would be invited to a gala dinner with him on May 22, with the top 25 receiving VIP access and a private reception. The announcement caused the coin’s value to spike by nearly 70% in four days.

Critics, including Cornell economist Eswar Prasad, have raised alarms about the ethical implications. “It is quite remarkable for any government official, let alone the leader of the free world, to create and promote a vehicle for rampant speculation and to directly profit from it,” Prasad said. Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig also pointed to the gala dinner as a clear example of profiteering, warning that such actions erode public trust and violate the spirit of the Constitution’s emoluments clause.

Biden’s Critique of Trump’s First 100 Days

In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC and other outlets, former President Joe Biden broke his post-presidency silence to deliver a pointed critique of Trump’s early tenure. Biden, who stepped aside in the 2024 election to allow Vice President Kamala Harris to run, said he could no longer remain silent in the face of what he described as a dangerous shift in American leadership.

“I don’t see anything that was triumphant,” Biden said, responding to Trump’s self-congratulatory remarks about his first 100 days. He condemned Trump’s treatment of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a February Oval Office meeting, calling it “beneath America,” and labeled Trump’s approach to the Russia-Ukraine war as “modern-day appeasement.”

Biden also criticized Trump’s foreign policy rhetoric, including past comments about acquiring Greenland and renaming the Gulf of Mexico. “What president ever talks like that?” he asked. “That’s not who we are. We’re about freedom, democracy, opportunity—not about confiscation.”

NATO and the Atlantic Alliance Under Strain

Biden’s most urgent warnings centered on the future of the Atlantic alliance. He expressed grave concern that Trump’s actions could erode the trust of America’s European allies. “I fear our allies are going to begin to doubt whether we’re going to stay where we’ve always been for the last 80 years,” Biden said.

Trump has repeatedly questioned the value of NATO, suggesting that the U.S. might not defend member states that fail to meet defense spending targets. At a February 10 rally, Trump recounted telling a NATO leader that if their country didn’t pay its share, he would “encourage” Russia to “do whatever the hell they want.”

These remarks drew swift condemnation from NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who warned that such statements “undermine all of our security.” European leaders, including EU Council President Charles Michel, called Trump’s comments “reckless” and accused him of serving “Putin’s interest.”

Biden, who oversaw the accession of Finland and Sweden into NATO during his presidency, emphasized the alliance’s role in maintaining global peace. “We did all that—and in four years we’ve got a guy who wants to walk away from it all,” he said.

References

• Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions
• Biden calls Trump's pressure on Ukraine 'modern-day appeasement' in interview
• Joe Biden trashes Donald Trump in first interview since leaving White House
• European Leaders, White House Denounce Trump's Remarks On Russia, NATO
• Rise of the Crypto Keepers
• Joe Biden: "Trump is not behaving like a Republican president"