The State Department announced Thursday it is expanding access to the new U.S. passport that features President Trump's portrait, adding 250,000 copies of the commemorative document in response to what it called “overwhelming demand” from the public.
Until now, Americans could only obtain the so-called “Patriot Passport” at the department's passport office in Washington, D.C. Starting immediately, citizens can schedule appointments by phone at 24 other passport offices nationwide, the department said in a release.
The passport, first unveiled in April ahead of the nation's 250th birthday, includes a page with Trump's inaugural portrait surrounded by text from the Declaration of Independence, alongside a painting of the founding fathers signing the document. It marks the first time a sitting president has been featured on a U.S. passport.
Passport offices in Centennial, Colorado; Chicago; Dallas; Detroit; Minneapolis; New Orleans; and Stamford, Connecticut, will host application events on August 8, with additional offices following in subsequent weeks.
“Since its release in celebration of 250 years of American independence, the commemorative passport has generated extraordinary public interest,” the State Department noted. “The Department of State is responding by expanding access so Americans across the country can obtain this unique and special document.”
The travel document also features depictions of Mount Rushmore, which includes the carved faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. Quotes from several deceased presidents—including Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon B. Johnson—are inscribed within the passport.
The Trump administration has placed the president's name and likeness on multiple buildings, initiatives, and items over the past 18 months. This includes the U.S. Institute for Peace and the Kennedy Center, though a federal judge ordered the removal of Trump's name from the latter's building in June. Meanwhile, the administration continues to push other branding efforts, such as replacing illegal truckers with veterans through the 'Freedom Haulers' initiative.
This fall, the U.S. Mint is set to release a $1 gold coin featuring Trump's portrait to commemorate the nation's semiquincentennial. The expansion of the Patriot Passport comes as the administration faces other political battles, including a quiet GOP revolt over Trump's anti-weaponization fund led by Senators Cornyn and Tillis.
The State Department's move to broaden access to the passport underscores the administration's focus on linking Trump's image to patriotic symbols, a strategy that has drawn both praise from supporters and criticism from opponents who view it as self-aggrandizement. The department did not disclose the total cost of producing the additional passports.
