According to a new report by the Washington Post, Donald Trump's team is pushing for his face to appear on a new $250 bill to mark the USA's 250th anniversary. That would make him the first living person to appear on US currency in more than 150 years. Trump allies allegedly pressured staff at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and "abruptly reassigned" the director when she expressed concerns about federal law, which states that only the deceased can appear on US banknotes.
Though federal law barred the printing of money featuring a living person in 1866, the Trump administration last year drafted legislation that would allow Trump to appear on a $250 bill in time for the nation’s 250th birthday – even though the legislation has not been taken up yet.
A Treasury Department spokesperson confirmed the plans in a statement to the Post, saying it was conducting “appropriate planning and due diligence” in response to “active legislation”.
In a White House briefing on Thursday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said "it's all in the hands...of Capitol Hill" and that he did not think there was anything "untoward" about having the sitting president appear on the bill for the anniversary.
The response online has been overwhelmingly negative. Many users have pointed to the 1866 law, and that even George Washington declined to be featured on currency while he was alive, fearing it would be "reminiscent of a monarch". Others reiterated the rising living costs, saying: "We don't need a $250 note!" Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also took a swing on X, mocking the news: "By the end of Trump's term, it'll be just enough to buy one gallon of gas and a carton of eggs."
If approved by lawmakers, the $250 banknote would be the latest effort to plaster Trump's face and name across US currency, documents, and institutions.
Earlier this year, the US Treasury announced plans to print his face on a $1 coin to commemorate the 250th anniversary. And in March, it said Trump's signature would be printed on all future paper currency. There's also the commemorative passports confirmed for the 250th anniversary, featuring Trump's portrait and signature rendered in gold.
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