Trump could appear on proposed US $250 bill
A proposal reported by The Washington Post could place Donald Trump on a new US $250 bill, despite legal concerns over depicting living presidents on currency. Democrats have criticised the move, while Treasury says planning and due diligence are under way.
WASHINGTON: A proposal under consideration in the United States could place President Donald Trump’s image on a new $250 banknote.
If implemented, it would mark the first time in about 150 years that a living person, including a sitting or former president, appeared on US currency. A design mock-up features Trump’s portrait along with the words America 250 anniversary, referring to the 250th anniversary of US independence on July 4, 1776.
Two Treasury Department appointees of Trump began pressing staff at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing last year to develop prototypes for the proposed note. Employees at the bureau, speaking anonymously, said the plan triggered concern because federal law bars the depiction of living presidents on US money.
The same employees said that Bureau of Engraving and Printing director Patricia Solimene had objected to the move and warned officials, including US Treasurer Brandon Beach, about legal and procedural hurdles. Solimene was later abruptly reassigned.
Legislation and official response
Legislation that would permit Trump’s appearance on a $250 bill was introduced in Congress last year, but it has not advanced. A Treasury spokesperson said the bureau "is conducting appropriate planning and due diligence" in response to the proposed legislation.
The proposed banknote is part of a broader push by the Trump administration to place the president’s name or likeness on public institutions and commemorative items, a move that has drawn criticism from opponents.
Earlier this year, the US Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump, unanimously approved a commemorative Semiquincentennial Gold Coin made of 24-carat gold. In recent months, the John F Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts and the US Institute of Peace have also been rebranded to include Trump’s name.
Trump’s image is also displayed on banners at the Department of Justice and the Department of Agriculture. His likeness will also appear in some US passports.
Democratic criticism
Democrats reacted critically to the proposal. Senator Mark Warner, a member of the Senate banking committee, said the unprecedented idea amounted to the White House blatantly "stoking the president’s ego".
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