On Thursday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that his department has completed the design for a $250 bill featuring former President Donald Trump. This move anticipates potential legislation that could see Trump’s likeness on a new denomination of U.S. currency, a proposal currently stalled in Congress.
During a briefing at the White House, Bessent emphasized that the final decision rests with Congress. “We’ve created the bill because we must be ready,” he stated, underscoring the department’s proactive stance.
While the administration has not made a concerted push for the bill, Bessent downplayed any suggestions of undue influence. This comes amid Trump’s known affinity for placing his name and image on various aspects of national life, especially as the country gears up to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Bessent maintained that featuring Trump on the currency would be a fitting tribute in the context of such a significant national milestone.
“The president is not involved in this process; it is up to the House and the Senate to act,” Bessent clarified. He was referencing a legislative proposal by Representative Joe Wilson, a Republican from South Carolina, which would direct the Treasury Department’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing to include Trump’s face on the new bill in commemoration of the nation’s founding anniversary.
A spokeswoman for the Treasury Department confirmed that the agency has conducted “appropriate planning and due diligence” to prepare for a possible mandate from Congress. This preparation ensures the production of a $250 commemorative note to honor the 250th anniversary of the United States. The spokeswoman, however, did not specifically mention Trump in her comments.
If passed and signed into law by Trump, Wilson’s bill would mark an extraordinary recognition for a sitting U.S. leader and comes as Trump has sought to place himself at the center of this year’s seminal Independence Day commemorations. The Department’s preparation for the languishing legislation suggests some enthusiasm for the idea on the part of the Trump administration.
Report: Trump ally has pushed to expedite the new currency
The agency’s explanation follows a Washington Post report stating that U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach, a Trump appointee, has been pushing the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to expedite the process for a new currency note. The paper also reported that the former BEP chief, Patricia Solimene, was reassigned after pushing back.
The Treasury spokesperson declined to comment on Solimene’s current status but confirmed that Michael Brown, a top Beach aide, became acting director of engraving and printing on May 18.
Beach did not respond to an Associated Press request for comment.
Wilson’s legislation, which so far has languished in Congress, is intended to create an exception to existing law that bars any living person from appearing on U.S. currency; the bill would allow current and former presidents to be featured.
Bessent confirmed the measure is designed for one person.
“Donald J. Trump,” he said emphatically, repeating the full name that the president himself often uses in the third person.
According to the Post report, Beach last fall provided the Bureau of Engraving and Printing with the design for the new bill. It featured Trump’s portrait — the same one that adorns banners hanging on some federal buildings in Washington — and a 250th anniversary logo. Trump’s signature also was included, a design element that would differ from other paper money.
British artist Iain Alexander told the Post he designed the bill and said he’d discussed it with the president. Alexander did not respond to an AP request for comment.
The newspaper also reported that the Solimene resisted pressure from Beach and Brown and stressed to them the lengthy legal and procedural process required to issue new currency. Solimene was reassigned against her will, the Post reported, paving the way for Brown to oversee the bureau.
Trump has aggressively spread his name and likeness
A new currency note would be the latest example of Trump expanding his personal brand in his official capacity since returning to the White House in 2025.
Beach and Bessent already streamlined approval of a commemorative 250th anniversary coin featuring Trump. The Treasury Department has asserted that those special coins fall outside the prohibition on living presidents appearing on money. In 1926, the nation’s 150th anniversary, then-President Calvin Coolidge appeared on a commemorative half-dollar coin that was official legal tender.
The Trump administration has had banners featuring his portrait hung on the Department of Justice and other federal buildings. And his slate of appointees to the Kennedy Center governing board added his name to the national performing arts facility that Congress originally designated as a memorial to assassinated President John F. Kennedy. That renaming is being challenged in court because of the federal law establishing the center as the official memorial to the 35th president.
Bessent noted that unless Wilson’s exception passes, current law sets just two conditions for him to consider on currency: that “In God We Trust” in some place and that only deceased individuals be depicted, with their names described below their portraits.
“It’s all up to Capitol Hill,” Bessent said. “We will stick to the law.”
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Barrow reported from Atlanta.