A proposal to place US President Donald Trump’s portrait on a new $250 banknote has sparked debate in Washington, drawing attention to long-standing rules governing American currency and triggering questions about whether a living person can legally appear on a US note.
The issue resurfaced this week after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent revealed that officials had prepared preliminary mock-ups of a proposed $250 bill featuring Trump. However, he made it clear that the idea cannot move forward unless Congress first changes existing law.
At the heart of the debate is a federal requirement that bars living individuals from appearing on US currency. According to Bessent, legislation has been introduced in both the House and Senate that would allow an exception, potentially paving the way for Trump to become the first living person featured on a US banknote.
“There are two mandates for US currency. At present, no living person can be on US currency, and the currency must stay in God we trust,” Bessent said during a White House briefing.
The Treasury Secretary said his department had asked the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to prepare designs in advance should lawmakers eventually approve the proposal.
“We have prepared in advance that if the legislation is passed, but we will stick to the law,” he said.
Why is the proposed Trump note controversial?
The proposal has attracted scrutiny not only because it would break with a long-standing tradition, but also because it has coincided with reported upheaval inside the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
According to a report in The New York Times, the bureau’s former director, Patricia Solimene, was recently reassigned to another role within the Treasury Department. In a note to staff, Solimene said the move was not her decision.
“I have never sacrificed the values or character of myself or the organisation and always prioritised the U.S. Currency Program and the value each employee brings to the mission,” she wrote before leaving the post.
The Washington Post had earlier reported on both the proposed $250 note and Solimene’s reassignment.
Has Trump appeared on US currency before?
While Trump has never appeared on US currency, the former and current president has previously been linked to proposals involving official government-issued memorabilia.
Last year, designs were released for a commemorative coin bearing his image, prompting criticism from some quarters over legal and historical concerns. More recently, a 24-karat gold commemorative coin featuring Trump’s likeness was approved by an arts commission appointed during his administration.
According to The New York Times, the Treasury Department had separately unveiled plans to place Trump’s signature on the US dollar next to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s, marking a departure from the long-standing practice of using the US treasurer’s signature.
The latest proposal has reopened debate over how American currency should evolve and whether political figures currently in office should be featured on it. Currency redesigns in the United States typically take years because of security requirements, production timelines and institutional review processes.
The controversy also echoes an earlier dispute over plans to replace former President Andrew Jackson with abolitionist Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill, a redesign effort that was delayed during Trump’s first term.