The United States Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, confirmed that his department has already prepared a design for a $250 bill featuring the likeness of President Donald Trump, although he cautioned that its issuance is contingent upon Congressional approval of the relevant legislation.
"The president does not do it; the House of Representatives and the Senate have to do it," declared Bessent at a press conference.
It is an initiative by Republican Representative Joe Wilson (South Carolina) that would require the Bureau of Engraving and Printing of the Treasury to feature Trump's face on a new denomination to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the country's independence.
The design was created by British artist Iain Alexander, who, according to the newspaper The Washington Post, spoke directly with Trump about the project. The bill features the portrait - the same one that appears on banners hanging from federal buildings in Washington - a logo for the 250th anniversary, and the signature of the president, an element that distinguishes it from other bills in circulation.
Bessent justified the advance preparation of the design in case the project is approved. "You can't prepare something the day before," he noted, comparing the process to the work that the Treasury did months before the approval of the so-called "one big beautiful bill" of tax cuts.
The proposal faces a legal hurdle: a law in effect since 1866 prohibits living individuals from appearing on U.S. currency. If Congress were to approve Wilson's initiative, Trump would be the first living person to appear on a U.S. bill in 160 years.
Bessent acknowledged that legal framework: "As Secretary of the Treasury, I have two mandates for U.S. currency. Currently, no living person can appear on the bills, and they must carry the inscription 'In God We Trust'."
The project by Wilson, titled "Donald J. Trump $250 Bill Act" and introduced in February 2025, was referred to the House Committee on Financial Services, where it remains stalled.
According to The Washington Post, national treasurer Brandon Beach -appointed by Trump- pressured the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to expedite the process. The previous director of that office, Patricia Solimene, was reassigned against her will after opposing such pressures.
A Treasury spokesperson confirmed that the agency has carried out "appropriate planning and due diligence" to implement a potential mandate from Congress, although the statement did not mention Trump by name.
The $250 bill is part of a broader pattern of initiatives that place Trump's image and signature on national symbols.
In March, the Treasury announced that the new $100 bills will feature Trump's signature, marking the first time since 1861 that a sitting president's signature appears on currency.
Additionally, the State Department will launch in July commemorative passports featuring the image and signature of Trump in a limited edition of 25,000 units.
Bessent defended the proposal for the bill in response to criticism: "I don't think there's anything inappropriate about the President of the United States appearing in the 250th anniversary legislation."
There is a historical precedent: in 1926, during the 150th anniversary of the country, President Calvin Coolidge appeared on a commemorative half-dollar coin that was official legal tender, which the Trump administration cites as a precedent for its commemorative initiatives.
The final decision about the $250 bill rests with Congress, where Wilson's initiative has been stalled for over a year in the House Financial Services Committee.
Filed under: