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United States President Donald Trump has made a career of slapping his name or image on products.
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From his real estate empire to his golf courses to obscure businesses like the failed Trump Steaks, Tea for Trump, TrumpCoin and even Trump University, Trump likes to see his name plastered everywhere.
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Now, the president has seemingly turned his attention to currency.
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As part of the 250th anniversary of U.S. confederation, American officials have proposed putting Trump’s face on a new US$250 bill, sparking a fresh wave of controversy.
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Why is the new money so controversial? And when might it enter circulation? The Financial Post breaks down what has to happen before Trump’s face ends up in U.S. wallets.
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How will the bill become legal tender?
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At the moment, the U.S. Treasury Department has two mandates for new currency designs: no living person can be featured on a new bill, and it must incorporate the phrase “In God We Trust.”
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Proposed legislation from Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina, however, would alter the former condition to make way for the Trump US$250.
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U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters last week that he is prepared to issue the new bill, but will abide by the current laws.
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Though the legislation has been stalled with the U.S. House Financial Services Committee since 2025, a spokesperson for the U.S. Treasury Department told NBC News the agency is actively planning to produce the bill once the law passes.
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What does the bill look like?
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Designs have not been made public, but the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) has drafted some early mockups, according to the Washington Post.
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While speaking to reporters last week, Bessent held a mock-up of the bill, which featured Trump’s most recent official portrait.
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Why is the new bill so controversial?
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Critics of the plan worry Trump’s name and likeness are already spread across Washington, while others believe the move is emblematic of the U.S. administration’s misplaced priorities, given the sky-high gas prices and overall cost of living in the U.S.
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, called the bill a “hard no,” saying that the upcoming Fourth of July “is not about a wannabe King.”
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Hard No on a Trump $250 bill.
Get over yourself.
The upcoming July 4th anniversary is not about a wannabe King.
It’s about celebrating the American journey.
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Meanwhile, supporters of the bill see it as a unifying way to celebrate the U.S.’s 250th birthday.
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“I don’t think there’s anything untoward about having the president of the United States — the person who is the president of the United States — on the 250th anniversary bill,” Bessent said last week.
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Has Trump already tweaked U.S. currency?
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In March, the U.S. Treasury Department announced that Trump’s signature would be added to paper currency, a first for a sitting president.
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The move was also touted as a celebration of the 250th anniversary.
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In the past, only the U.S. treasurer and the treasury secretary’s signature was printed on bills.
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In addition to his signature, Trump’s image is also included on commemorative gold coins to celebrate the anniversary.
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What else has Trump put his name on?
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Trump’s allies have slapped the president’s name on a discount drug platform, savings accounts for children and a new class of U.S. battleships.
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