The Treasury Department is considering a bold new proposal to introduce a $250 bill featuring the likeness of former President Donald Trump, as officials express support for the idea.
Scott Bessent, the Treasury Secretary, has publicly endorsed the initiative, describing it as an appropriate tribute as the United States nears its 250th anniversary.
“I believe it is appropriate,” Bessent remarked during an appearance on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures. “President Trump was the leader during our 250th anniversary celebrations.”
However, for this plan to come to fruition, Congress must first alter a longstanding federal statute, in place for 159 years, that prohibits living individuals from being depicted on American currency.
During a recent press conference, Bessent indicated that while Treasury officials are ready to produce the $250 bill, they are waiting for legislative approval before proceeding.
“The decision now rests with Capitol Hill,” Bessent stated at the briefing. “At the Treasury, we prepare in advance, so we are ready to act if the legislation passes, but we will adhere to the law.”
In the interview with Fox News, Bessent pointed to a historical precedent, noting that a commemorative coin was issued during Calvin Coolidge’s presidency.
‘Calvin Coolidge was president during the 150th anniversary. And there was a coin printed for him,’ Bessent said to the outlet.
‘And I think it’s a great celebratory note for a great president,’ he added.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent publicly praised the prposal, calling it ‘fitting’ as the nation approaches its 250th birthday
A mock-up design of a proposed $250 bill featuring the president’s face and signature that administration officials provided to Bureau of Engraving and Printing staff in August
Treasury Department officials, US Treasurer Brandon Beach and his senior adviser, Mike Brown, have repeatedly urged staff at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to produce prototypes, four current and former employees told the Washington Post.
Beach handed mock-ups to bureau staff in August and September showing Trump’s portrait in the center, his signature on the left side and Bessent’s autograph on the other.
British painter Iain Alexander, who designed the mockup, said it was endorsed by the President.
‘He likes to call me his favorite British artist,’ Alexander told the Washington Post.
A bill allowing Trump’s portrait on bank notes to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary was introduced in Congress last year, but it has stalled.
Bureau director Patricia ‘Patty’ Solimene was abruptly reassigned on April 27 after warning Beach and Brown about the legal complications.
‘She had told them we’re not authorized to do this. We can’t progress any further, and all the stakeholders have not even met to discuss the next steps,’ an employee told WaPo.
‘Currency often takes six to eight years to produce a new bill, particularly one of such high value.’
In an email to colleagues, Solimene wrote that it was with a ‘heavy heart’ that she was leaving and that it was ‘not my choice.’
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Republican Rep. Joe Wilson (S.C.) said he is drafting a bill that would put President Donald Trump on a new $250 bill back in 2025
The mockup bill would show Trump’s portrait in the center, his signature on the left side and Bessent’s autograph on the other
She added that she had ‘never sacrificed the values or character of myself or the organization and always prioritized the US Currency Program and the value each employee brings to the mission.’
Designing and printing a new note requires coordination with the Federal Reserve, Secret Service and private companies even with congressional authorization, said Larry Felix, a former bureau director.
It took more than a decade to produce a $100 note with anti-counterfeiting security features, he told the Post.
‘These guys think you can just print something overnight and it’s going to work in an ATM. It’s just crazy,’ a bureau employee told the Post. ‘It takes years and years and years to produce these notes so they are reliable for the public.’
The Trump administration effort coincides with other patriotic announcements to commemorate America’s founding, including a 250ft triumphal arch, dubbed the Arc de Trump, planned for Arlington National Cemetery.
