WASHINGTON, DC (LOOTPRESS) – The U.S. Treasury Department is considering the possibility of issuing a new $250 bill featuring President Donald Trump, though officials say the move would require Congress to first change federal law.
According to CBS News, the proposal stems from legislation introduced in 2025 by Rep. Joe Wilson, a Republican from South Carolina. The bill, known as the “Donald J. Trump $250 Bill Act,” would direct the Treasury Department to create a $250 banknote bearing Trump’s portrait.
Current federal law prohibits living people from appearing on U.S. currency. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent addressed the proposal during a White House press briefing Thursday, saying the department is preparing in case lawmakers approve the change.
“For U.S. currency at present, no living person can be on U.S. currency,” Bessent said. “There is proposed legislation in front of the House and Senate to change that requirement so that Donald J. Trump could be on the $250 bill.”
A Treasury Department official told CBS News that the Bureau of Engraving and Printing is already conducting planning and due diligence related to the proposal. Officials said the commemorative bill would coincide with celebrations marking America’s 250th anniversary.
The proposed legislation was introduced in February 2025 and referred to the House Committee on Financial Services, where it has remained without further action.
Mock-up images circulating online show possible designs for the bill, including green-toned currency similar to existing U.S. banknotes with Trump’s portrait prominently displayed. However, Treasury officials stressed that none of the designs currently online are official.
“Any designs or mockups circulating are not real,” a Treasury official said.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing notes that developing new currency designs can take years, with finalized designs typically revealed only months before circulation in an effort to combat counterfeiting.
The proposed $250 bill would join several other commemorative currency projects tied to the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary celebrations, including redesigned coins planned for release in 2026.
