High-ranking officials from the US presidential administration under Trump exerted pressure on employees of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to develop prototypes of $250 banknotes featuring Trump’s likeness. These notes were intended for release coinciding with the 250th anniversary of US independence. Currently, no $250 banknotes are in circulation.
This information comes from The Washington Post, citing sources within the Bureau of Printing.
Among those championing the initiative to print Trump on the currency were Treasury Department official Brandon Beach and his senior advisor, Mike Brown.
Brandon Beach provided the bureau’s staff with banknote mock-ups, including one that prominently displayed President Donald Trump’s face at the center of the $250 denomination, situated between the signatures of the President and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, according to the publication’s sources. The banknote was slated to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States’ independence.
British artist Ian Alexander was responsible for the banknote’s design. He informed the publication that Trump had “approved changes to the original design.”
Bureau of Printing Director Patricia Soliman and other personnel repeatedly informed Beach and Brown about existing legal and procedural obstacles to producing such a banknote, estimating that the process would take years – specifically 6 to 8 years. On April 27th, the leadership of the US Treasury “abruptly” dismissed her from her post. Mike Brown was appointed as the interim head of the Bureau of Printing.
The US Department of the Treasury stated that Brandon Beach “never asked employees to print a bill before its adoption by Congress.” The White House declined to comment.
US law prohibits the depiction of living individuals on banknotes and coins; only deceased persons are permitted. Furthermore, the development and printing of any new currency typically necessitate meticulous coordination with the Federal Reserve System, the Secret Service, and other relevant entities.
On March 26, 2026, it was reported that Donald Trump’s signature would appear on $100 banknotes. The signature of US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin would also be featured on these notes. The initial batch of these banknotes was scheduled for printing in June, dedicated to the 250th anniversary of US independence.
Traditionally, US dollar banknotes bear only the signatures of Treasury Secretaries. Currently, circulating banknotes feature the signatures of former Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Treasury Secretary Lynn Malerba during President Joe Biden’s administration.
Source: suspilne.media