US Treasury Prepares Mock-Up of $250 Note With Trump Portrait
Washington: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the department is working on a mock-up design for the $250 bill that will include a portrait of President Donald Trump. Speaking at a White House briefing, Bessent noted that such a change would need approval from Congress because current law does not allow living individuals to be included in U.S. currency. Bessent added that there is a bill before the Assembly and Senate to make the necessary changes.
“There are two imperatives for U.S. currency. No living person can be on U.S. currency now, and the money must remain with God in whom we trust. So there is a bill now before the House of Representatives and the Senate that would change the first requirement so that Donald Trump, a living person, can be on a $250 bill.” He also noted that Treasury Department officials requested the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to prepare preliminary models of the new currency design. “As the Treasury, we have prepared some things in advance. Therefore, in case the law is passed, we have prepared in advance, but we will abide by the law,” he added. The push to introduce a new $250 bill featuring US President Donald Trump sparked internal debate within the US Treasury Department’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing and coincided with the sudden dismissal of its former director, Patricia Solimene, the New York Times reported.
In a memo to staff, Solimene said it was not his choice that he be moved to another part of the Treasury. “I have never sacrificed my own or my organization’s values or character, and I have always prioritized the U.S. Monetary Program and the value each employee brings to the mission,” he wrote before leaving office. he wrote and added: “The problem ends here.” The developments come as plans have been reported to prepare a new currency design featuring Trump’s portrait; This move is currently under review. The Washington Post had previously reported on both the proposed $250 bill and Solimene’s reappointment. Trump has previously signaled his intention to leave a stronger mark on the US currency and the economy in general. Last year, designs were released for a commemorative coin bearing his image, the New York Times reported; The move sparked criticism over potential legal concerns and customs under a long-standing law passed in 1866 that discouraged the depiction of living individuals on currency.
In March, Trump’s handpicked art commission approved a 24-carat gold commemorative coin depicting Trump with a stern expression, clenched fists and an eagle on the reverse. Separately, the Treasury Department also announced that Trump will become the first US president to have his signature on a US dollar alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, instead of the traditional signature of the US treasurer, the New York Times reported. The proposals have reignited debate over currency design traditions that often take years to implement due to security and institutional concerns. A previous plan to replace Andrew Jackson with Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill during Trump’s first term was also postponed.
