The U.S. State Department is finalizing plans to include President Donald Trump’s portrait on new passports, in what would be the first time a sitting president has been featured on official travel documents.
The new passport design features the president on the inside cover to commemorate the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, the State Department told Newsweek. One design included Trump’s signature in gold.
“As the United States celebrates America’s 250th anniversary in July, the State Department is preparing to release a limited number of specially designed U.S. passports to commemorate this historic occasion,” a State Department spokesperson told Newsweek. “These passports will feature customized artwork and enhanced imagery while maintaining the same security features that make the U.S. passport the most secure documents in the world.”
Why It Matters
The redesign comes as the Trump administration has carried out a broad push to add the president’s name to prominent federal institutions and cultural landmarks as part of the upcoming bicentennial celebration, including his signature on U.S. currency, efforts to rename the John F. Kennedy Center of the Performing Arts, a new “Trump” class of warship and the commission of a 24-karat gold coin bearing Trump’s likeness.
While passports around the world often feature historical figures, important landmarks, and key texts, it is rare for current leaders to appear within their pages.
New US Passport Designs: What To Know
The State Department plans to produce a “limited run” of 25,000 passports featuring Trump, The Bulwark reported, citing an unnamed government official.
The concept for the special passport, including the rendering of Trump’s headshot, had been under consideration for months before it was finally approved late Monday, the Associated Press reported.
The current passport design depicts Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, featuring George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln as the only portrayal of former U.S. presidents.
Other images include the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall in Philadelphia, as well as scenes of the Great Plains, mountains and islands. Current passports also contain quotations from Martin Luther King Jr. as well as Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Dwight Eisenhower.
Trump Portrait Choice Sparks Criticism
Edward Kolla, an associate professor of history at Georgetown University and an expert on U.S. passports, said he considered the move to include Trump’s image in the document as “wacky,” The Bulwark reported.
No modern U.S. passport has featured a sitting president, and no foreign passports depict the “head of state of any country,” Kolla told the outlet.
Democratic California Congressman Mike Levin also took issue with the design, pointing out on X that Trump’s signature was over the Declaration of Independence, a document “literally written to get away from this exact behavior.”
“No sitting president has ever done this. Coins, park passes, battleships, and now your passport,” Levin said. “The man cannot find a surface he will not slap his name or face on. This is not patriotism. It is vanity.”
The president’s niece, Mary Trump, wrote on X, “I’ve never been so relieved to have already renewed my passport.”
Gavin Newsom’s Mocking Posts
In a post on X, the press office of California governor Gavin Newsom shared a mock-up of a California driver’s license featuring Newsom’s portrait, paired with a caption that mimics Donald Trump’s social media style—a tactic Newsom’s team has used frequently.
It read: “In honor of California’s 175th anniversary, we will be rolling out a very special driver’s license for every Californian this summer! It will feature a handsome, high-quality photo of me, Gavin C. Newsom. Many people are saying it’s the best license ever made in the history of the world. This is about celebrating our beautiful state (it is not about me, despite the very handsome photo!). Enjoy! — Governor GCN.”
In another jab, Newsom’s office circulated an altered image of a redesigned passport page bearing Trump’s likeness—this time depicting the president alongside the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump’s Image, Name on Other US Institutions
Trump, 79, has also proposed renaming major transit hubs, such as New York City’s Penn Station or Washington’s Dulles International Airport, after himself. Most Americans oppose the change to U.S. currency, which was announced by Department of Treasury officials in March.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are on a path toward unprecedented economic growth, lasting dollar dominance, and fiscal strength and stability,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. “There is no more powerful way to recognize the historic achievements of our great country and President Donald J. Trump than U.S dollar bills bearing his name, and it is only appropriate that this historic currency be issued at the semiquincentennial.”
Treasury officials had previously discussed creating a Trump $1 coin, but laws prohibit the depiction of living individuals on U.S. currency. The Department of the Interior also unveiled several new designs for national park passes in January, including an $80 annual “America the Beautiful” pass that depicts Trump alongside Washington.
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, which advises the president and Congress on federal design plans, approved a commemorative gold coin last month for the bicentennial featuring Trump’s likeness.
Who Can Get The New Passport?
The passports will be available only at first to applicants using the Washington, D.C., passport office who make a special request. Applicants who do not want the commemorative passport will be able to choose a standard one, officials said.
This article contains reporting by The Associated Press.
Related Articles
