Trump officials are pushing $250 bills featuring his portrait. Will he be the first living president to appear on the currency? | Today’s news

President Donald Trump’s administration officials have forced the office responsible for printing US currency to create a $250 bill with Trump’s portrait. The move would mark the first time in more than 150 years that a living person has appeared on US currency.

Since last year, two political appointees at the U.S. Treasury Department, Treasurer Brandon Beach and his senior adviser Mike Brown, have repeatedly urged staff at the Office of Engraving and Printing to prepare banknote samples, The Washington Post reported Thursday, citing employees who said the move raised concerns because federal law allows only deceased people to appear on bills.

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The Ministry of Finance is preparing mock-up proposals

As part of the ongoing effort, Beach provided mock-up designs for the memo to agency staff in August and September of last year. This included one that showed Trump’s face in the middle of a $250 bill between the signatures of the president and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

British painter Iain Alexander is said to be the artist behind the proposed model and said he has spoken to the US president about it. He added that Trump suggested changes to his original proposal, such as adding the colors of the American flag and a logo commemorating the country’s 250th anniversary.

“He likes to call me his favorite British artist,” said Alexander, a former competitive swimmer and DJ who describes himself as Queen Elizabeth II’s royal portraitist. and others.

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Trump admin pushes for currency change

The report suggests that no living person has appeared on the nation’s currency since 1866, after it was banned when the likeness of a central government official appeared on the five-cent note. A bill that would have allowed Trump to appear on the $250 bill was introduced in Congress last year to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary, but stalled.

A Treasury spokesman said in a statement that the printer was “conducting appropriate planning and due diligence” in response to the proposed legislation.

The statement added, “Should this legislative mandate be signed into law, BEP is proactively moving to create a commemorative $250 note that will appropriately recognize the 250th anniversary of our great nation.”

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Legal challenges Trump appointees have dismissed

Citing sources, the report added that Patricia “Patty” Solimene, the director of the press office, repeatedly explained to Beach and Brown the legal and procedural hurdles involved in producing the note, adding that it would take years longer than they imagined.

“She told them we’re not authorized to do that. We can’t go any further and all the stakeholders haven’t even met to discuss the next steps,” said one employee. “Less often it takes six to eight years to create a new banknote, especially one of such high value.”

Solimene said she was suddenly reassigned from her position on April 27 by finance management. In an email to colleagues the following day, she said she was leaving with a “heavy heart”. According to a farewell email, Solimene said she had been moved to another role within the Treasury Department and noted that the decision to leave “was not my choice.”

In addition, the former printing press director and her staff agreed to another administration request to print $100 bills bearing Trump’s signature. These bills will be the first in American history to bear the signature of a sitting president and are currently being printed at the office’s Washington center.

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The push for a $250 bill is in line with the Trump administration’s broader plans to mark America’s 250th anniversary, with celebrations set to begin in July. The US president has reportedly proposed building a 250-foot-long triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery along with a “Garden of Heroes” in Washington with 250 statues.

Last month, the State Department also announced plans to issue commemorative passports featuring Trump’s portrait and signature for anniversary celebrations, a move that did not require congressional approval.

Key things

• The push for a $250 bill featuring Trump’s portrait raises questions about its legality, as federal law prohibits living individuals from issuing the currency.
• The initiative is part of broader plans to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States, including other major projects.
• The challenges faced by the Treasury Department in preparing the new law highlight the complexities involved in the design and approval process of US currency.