According to a new report by the Washington Post, Donald Trump's team are pushing for his face to appear on a new $250 dollar bill to mark the USA's 250th anniversary, which would make him the first living person on US currency in over 150 years. Trump allies allegedly pressured staff at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and "abruptly reassigned" the director when she expressed concern of federal law, which states only the deceased can appear on US notes.
Though federal law outlawed printing money featuring a living person in 1866, the Trump administration last year drafted legislation that would allow Trump to appear on a $250 dollar bill in time for the nation’s 250th birthday, though the legislation hasn't 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 didn't think there was anything "untoward" about having the sitting president appear on the bill for the 250th anniversary. The response online was overwhelmingly negative. Many internet users pointed out the 1866 law, and that even George Washington had declined to be featured on currency whilst living, fearing it would be "reminiscent of a monarch." Others reiterated the rising cost of living and soaring gas prices, 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 note 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 its plans to print his face on a $1 coin to commemorate the 250th anniversary, and this 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.
