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President Donald Trump might soon be featured on a new $250 bill, signaling a bold move by the Republicans to challenge traditional U.S. practices by inserting his image into national symbols. Reports from the Washington Post Thursday revealed a design concept for the bill prominently displaying Trump’s face. If it goes ahead, it would mark the first time in 150 years that a living person, and even a sitting president, has been depicted on U.S. currency.
The mock-up also includes the phrase “America 250th anniversary,” celebrating the country’s independence from Britain on July 4, 1776. Last year, two of Trump’s appointees at the Treasury Department encouraged staff at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to start preparing prototypes. Insiders, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed concerns that the plan would breach federal law prohibiting images of living presidents on currency.
Treasury Department officials, including US Treasurer Brandon Beach, were warned by Director Patricia Solimene about potential legal and procedural hurdles. Subsequently, Solimene was suddenly reassigned from her position. Despite these objections, the Trump administration has continued efforts to incorporate his likeness into broader cultural contexts and institutions, prompting accusations of a personality cult around the 79-year-old leader.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts—whose members were appointed during Trump’s presidency—approved the creation of a gold coin commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary, crafted from 24-karat gold. Additionally, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the U.S. Institute of Peace have been renamed to include Trump’s name.
His image also appears in banners hanging at the Department of Justice and the Department of Agriculture. Furthermore, it is expected to be featured in future U.S. passports, as reported by the State Department. A bill proposing Trump’s portrait on the $250 bill was introduced to Congress last year but has yet to move forward. A Treasury spokesperson stated that the bureau is “conducting appropriate planning and due diligence” regarding the legislation.
Democratic critics have voiced strong opposition. Senator Mark Warner, a member of the Senate Banking Committee, criticized the proposal as an example of the White House “stoking the president’s ego” in an unprecedented fashion.
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