US dollar bill with Trump’s signature (image generated by artificial intelligence)
US President Donald Trump’s administration has sparked controversy again, this time by proposing to include his signature on US paper currency ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary.The US Treasury Department announced Thursday that future US dollar bills will bear Trump’s signature alongside the Treasury Secretary’s signature, marking the first time in history that the signature of a sitting president has appeared on a paper currency.Treasury Secretary Scott Besent said the move was intended to commemorate the US’s quincentennial celebrations in 2026, according to CNN. Explaining the rationale behind the decision, Besant said in an official statement: “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are on the path to unprecedented economic growth, lasting dollar dominance, and financial strength and stability.”
“There is no more powerful way to recognize the historic accomplishments of our great country and President Donald J. Trump than with the U.S. dollar bills bearing his name, and it is fitting that this historic coin be issued on the semicentennial,” Besant added. To provide further context, the Treasury Department said the move is part of a broader effort to mark the United States’ 250th anniversary, during which Trump’s likeness is also expected to appear on commemorative materials.
US Treasury Secretary Brandon Beach linked the proposal to the administration’s economic narrative. “As we approach the 250th anniversary of the founding of our great nation, the U.S. currency will continue to stand as a symbol of the prosperity, strength and unwavering spirit of the American people under the leadership of President Trump,” he said.“The president’s impact on history as the architect of the economic renaissance of America’s Gilded Age is undeniable,” Beach added.
“Printing his signature on US currency is not only appropriate, but deserved.”But the announcement raised legal and political questions. US law has long restricted the depiction of living individuals on currency, a rule dating back to 1866 intended to prevent any perception of ownership-like practices.In 1861, the United States government issued the first paper currency for general circulation, known as “demand notes” to finance the Civil War due to coin shortages and war expenses.
Under the Act of July 17, 1861, the $5, $10, and $20 bills were payable on demand in coins, and were nicknamed “green bills” because of their green reverse side. The coin proposal comes alongside another controversial plan under consideration that includes issuing a $1 coin bearing Trump’s image to commemorate the anniversary. Draft designs shared by officials show the president’s profile on one side and a photo of him standing in front of the American flag on the other side.