The Treasury Department has already begun preparing to print $250 bills bearing President Donald Trump's portrait, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Thursday, pending congressional approval of proposed legislation that would overturn a longstanding ban on living people appearing on U.S. currency.
Bessent revealed the advance planning during the White House press briefing, explaining that Treasury operates under two currency mandates: that no living person may appear on American bills, and that all currency must bear the phrase "In God We Trust." The new proposal would change the first requirement specifically to allow Trump's likeness on the denomination.
"At Treasury we prepare things in advance, so we have prepared in advance that if the legislation is passed, but we will stick to the law," Bessent said. A Treasury spokeswoman later confirmed that the Bureau of Engraving and Printing "is conducting appropriate planning and due diligence" and "is moving proactively" to produce the bills if lawmakers authorize the change.
The legislation, introduced last year by Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., has been sitting in the House Financial Services Committee since February 2025. A GOP aide confirmed Thursday that the bill has been greenlit for a future committee hearing. David Snider, Wilson's spokesperson, said the congressman has spoken multiple times with Financial Services Committee Chair Rep. French Hill about advancing the measure, and has discussed the bill with both Bessent and Trump on several occasions.
Bessent framed the initiative as part of celebrations for the nation's 250th anniversary, drawing a parallel between the commemorative bill and broader festivities planned for the milestone year. He downplayed suggestions that the move was inappropriate, telling reporters: "I don't think that there's anything untoward about having the president of the United States, the person who was president of the United States on the 250th anniversary bill."
The $250 bill would not be Trump's only new appearance on federal currency. In March, the Treasury announced that Trump's signature would be printed on paper money, another unprecedented step for a sitting president also justified by the 250th anniversary. Additionally, a federal commission of Trump-appointed members approved a design featuring Trump's image on 24-karat commemorative gold coins, though that design still requires official Treasury approval.
Trump and his administration have pursued multiple avenues to embed his name and image throughout the federal government in ways previous presidents did not. The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the U.S. Institute of Peace both now bear his name. He has also attached his signature to discount drug programs, savings accounts, and proposed warships. The Florida Legislature recently voted to rename Palm Beach International Airport after him, and his face now appears on banners at the Justice Department and Department of Labor.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Whether you see this as fitting commemoration or questionable vanity, the machinery is already spinning without Congress having voted at all."
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