Trump on a $250 banknote? US officials quietly pushed new designs with his portrait

The Donald Trump administration pushed for designs of a new $250 bill featuring the US president’s portrait, despite federal laws barring living people from appearing on American currency, The Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing current and former employees of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP).

According to the report, two Treasury Department political appointees – US Treasurer Brandon Beach and his senior adviser Mike Brown – repeatedly urged BEP staff to prepare prototypes of the proposed note beginning last year.

The report said Beach shared mock-up designs in August and September that showed Trump’s face at the centre of the proposed $250 bill, alongside the signatures of the president and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

The effort has raised concerns within the bureau because US law currently permits only deceased individuals to appear on currency. “We’re not authorised to do this. We can’t progress any further,” one employee told The Washington Post, adding that new currency design often takes “six to eight years” because of security and technical requirements.

British artist Iain Alexander, who said he designed one of the mock-ups, told the newspaper that Trump personally reviewed the proposal and suggested adding American flag colours and a “250” anniversary logo. “He absolutely loved it,” Alexander said.

The report noted that legislation allowing Trump’s portrait on a commemorative $250 bill was introduced in Congress earlier this year by Republican Congressman Joe Wilson, but the proposal has not advanced.

In a statement quoted by The Washington Post, the Treasury Department said the BEP “is conducting appropriate planning and due diligence” in response to the proposed legislation. It added that the bureau was moving “proactively” should Congress eventually approve the measure.

The newspaper reported that Patricia “Patty” Solimene, the bureau’s first female director, repeatedly warned Treasury officials about the legal and procedural barriers to producing the note. Solimene was later reassigned from her post in April. In a farewell email cited by the report, she wrote that the move was “not my choice” and added: “The buck stopped here.”

The report also said the administration approved another symbolic change — printing $100 bills carrying Trump’s signature. Treasury officials said no law bars a sitting president’s signature from appearing on currency.

Currency experts quoted by the newspaper said a $250 bill with Trump’s image would still require an act of Congress. Larry Felix, a former BEP director, told the newspaper: “A $250 note is not statutorily authorized.”

The push for a Trump-themed commemorative note comes as the administration prepares celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of America’s founding. Trump has also proposed a 250-foot triumphal arch and a “Garden of Heroes” project in Washington as part of the anniversary events.