Treasury Secretary Bessent defends proposal for Trump's face on special $250 bill

Daniel Flatley and Jeff Mason, Bloomberg News on May 28, 2026

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WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the idea of putting President Donald Trump’s face on a specially issued $250 bill, a move that is currently barred by U.S. law.

Bessent was pressed on Thursday about a Washington Post report that said Trump administration officials are pushing to have the president’s portrait on special bank notes to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary. No living person has appeared on U.S. currency since the 19th century.

“I don’t think that there’s anything untoward about having the president of the United States — the person who is president of the United States — on the 250th-anniversary bill,” Bessent said Thursday during a White House press briefing.

Under a 160-year-old law, current officials or living people are banned from appearing on American coins or banknotes. Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina introduced legislation last year to allow for a note featuring Trump’s image.

Bessent said it was Congress’ choice whether to relax the restrictions, which were implemented in part in order prevent officials from promoting themselves.

Two Mandates

“As Treasury Secretary, I have two mandates for U.S. currency,” he said. “At present, no living person can be on U.S. currency and the currency must say ‘In God We Trust.’” Referring to the proposed bill, he said, “It’s all up on Capitol Hill.”

He also defended moves by Treasury officials prepare for printing such a note ahead of congressional action.

“We prepare for everything,” he said, drawing a comparison with the department’s work in advance of Trump’s signature tax legislation last July.n “We will stick to the law.”

Bessent was the third senior administration official to stand in for White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is on maternity leave, for the briefing — following Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

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—With assistance from Catherine Lucey.