Trump's face on US currency? White House plans to break 150-year-old rule

The US Treasury has begun preliminary planning for a proposed $250 banknote featuring Donald Trump, pending congressional approval. If passed, the change would break the long-standing bar on living people appearing on American currency and tie the note to the nation's 250th anniversary.

In Short

• Current US rules bar living people from appearing on banknotes
• Official said Treasury is planning ahead while awaiting approval
• Bureau of Engraving and Printing asked to prepare design mock-up

The US Treasury Department has begun preliminary preparations for a proposed $250 banknote featuring President Donald Trump, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying the department is ready to move forward if Congress approves the plan.

Speaking at a White House press briefing on Thursday, Bessent said the Treasury currently follows two rules when it comes to US currency: no living individual can appear on banknotes, and all currency must carry the phrase "In God We Trust".

He said lawmakers on Capitol Hill are now pushing legislation that would alter the first rule, allowing a sitting president -- specifically Donald Trump -- to appear on a newly introduced USD 250 note.

"Within Treasury, we prepare in advance," Bessent said, adding that officials have already started planning for the possibility of the bill's approval while stressing that the department would continue to operate within existing law unless Congress acts.

According to a Washington Post report, the Trump administration has directed the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), the agency responsible for producing US currency, to work on a mock-up design placing Trump's portrait at the centre of the note.

If approved, Trump would become the first living person to appear on American currency in more than 150 years.

Bessent defended the proposal by linking it to celebrations surrounding the United States' upcoming 250th anniversary, arguing there was "nothing untoward" about featuring the president serving during the milestone year on a commemorative-style banknote.

"I don't think that there's anything untoward about having the President of the United States, the person who was President of the United States on the 250th anniversary bill," he said.

The legislation backing the move was introduced last year by Republican Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina. The bill was referred to the House Financial Services Committee in February 2025 and has remained there since. Any change would require approval from both the House and Senate before reaching Trump's desk for signature.

A Treasury spokesperson told NBC News that the BEP is conducting "appropriate planning and due diligence" and is "moving proactively" should the legislation eventually become law.

The proposed note would not be the only currency-related first linked to Trump's presidency. In March, the Treasury announced that Trump's signature would appear on US paper currency, marking another unprecedented move for a sitting president. Officials had also tied that decision to the country's 250th anniversary celebrations.

British artist Iain Alexander, who created an early concept design for the note, told The Washington Post that Trump personally reviewed the artwork and suggested modifications. According to Alexander, Trump asked for the inclusion of American flag colours and a special logo commemorating the nation's 250th year.

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