Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threw his support behind a proposal to put President Donald Trump on a new $250 bill, part of the nation's 2026 semiquincentennial celebration. In an interview at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Bessent told Fox Business contributor Larry Kudlow that Trump's image should appear on the commemorative currency, drawing a direct parallel to a 1926 half-dollar coin that featured Calvin Coolidge and George Washington.
“We are going to have the image of President Trump on a coin,” Bessent said. He noted that current law limits Treasury designs to deceased individuals and requires the inscription “In God We Trust.” But Bessent argued he has wide latitude beyond those constraints. “I am only mandated to do two things,” he explained. “At present, it has to be someone who is not living and it must say, ‘In God We Trust.’ I can do whatever else I want. And I think that if you are the president, just like Calvin Coolidge was for the 150th, for the 250th President Trump should be on there.”
The push for a Trump-themed bill faces a legal hurdle: federal statute prohibits living persons from appearing on U.S. currency. South Carolina Republican Representative Joe Wilson introduced legislation last February to remove that restriction, but the bill remains stalled in House committees. Wilson defended the measure on Fox LiveNOW Friday, calling it “a symbol of our great appreciation” for the nation and the president. “It’s so clear: this specific year, 2026, Donald Trump is the president,” Wilson said. “What a time to show tribute to our country and to recognize the president who I believe has just been a symbol of freedom and democracy around the world.”
Despite the lack of congressional approval, The Washington Post reported Thursday that Treasury and White House officials have already moved forward with design concepts for the $250 note. When CNN’s Kaitlan Collins pressed Bessent on the preemptive work during a media briefing, he responded, “We have to prepare in advance. You can’t draw something up the day before.”
The $250 bill is part of a broader anniversary campaign coordinated by the White House commission Freedom 250. Other planned events include a state fair and FIFA World Cup fan center on the National Mall, an IndyCar race, and a UFC fight on the South Lawn of the White House. In March, the Commission of Fine Arts—whose board is appointed by the president—approved a $1 commemorative coin featuring Trump’s likeness.
The administration’s aggressive push for Trump-themed currency has drawn criticism from opponents who see it as a politicization of national symbols. Meanwhile, the Treasury secretary’s remarks come amid other high-profile clashes between the White House and foreign governments, including a dispute with Bulgaria that led to restricted access for U.S. military aircraft. Bessent himself has warned that U.S. manufacturing policy has left the nation vulnerable, adding to the intensity of this election-year political landscape.
As the 2026 anniversary approaches, the question of whether Congress will lift the ban on living figures remains unresolved. For now, Bessent and the White House are pressing ahead, betting that the political momentum behind the president will carry the design into law.
