President Donald Trump may soon appear on a new $250 bill as part of the Republicans’ latest attempt to alter US traditions by adding his personal touch to national institutions.
The Washington Post reported Thursday that a proposal for this new bill, featuring a striking image of Trump, has been made. If implemented, it would be the first time a living person’s image has appeared on U.S. currency in over 150 years.
The design mock-up obtained by the Washington Post also includes the words “America 250 anniversary,” referencing the United States’ declaration of independence on July 4, 1776. According to the Post, two Trump appointees at the Treasury Department last year urged staff at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to prepare prototypes.
However, employees told the Post that the plan raises concerns because it would violate a federal law prohibiting the depiction of living presidents on U.S. money. Patricia Solimene, the printing bureau director, had pushed back against the plan, warning officials including US Treasurer Brandon Beach of legal and procedural obstacles. She was abruptly reassigned from her role.
Despite these worries, the Trump administration has pressed ahead with its efforts to place his likeness or name on cultural institutions and other items, leading to accusations of a cult of personality around the 79-year-old leader. Earlier this year, the US Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump, approved the minting of a commemorative “Semiquincentennial Gold Coin” made of 24-carat gold.
In recent months, both the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the U.S. Institute of Peace have been rebranded to include Trump’s name. His likeness also appears on banners draping the Department of Justice and Department of Agriculture, and it will soon appear in some U.S. passports, according to the State Department.
Legislation to allow Trump to appear on a $250 bill was introduced to Congress last year but has since sat idle. A Treasury spokesperson told the Post that the printing office is conducting appropriate planning and due diligence in response to the proposed legislation. Democrats have reacted critically, with Senator Mark Warner, a member of the Senate’s banking committee, saying the proposal amounts to the White House blatantly “stoking the president’s ego.”