According to a May 28 report by The Washington Post, Treasury Department officials — including U.S. Treasury Secretary Brandon Beach and his senior adviser Mike Brown — have repeatedly pressured the Bureau of Engraving and Printing since last year to produce early sample sheets of a $250 bill bearing President Trump’s portrait. The design, obtained by WaPo, shows the president’s portrait on the front, along with the text “250 AMERICA” and dual signatures of Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Secretary Bessent publicly confirmed at a White House press conference that day, “We have made the design of this note,” defending the move by saying “we must prepare in advance,” while emphasizing that final authorization requires congressional legislation.
Current U.S. law prohibits the depiction of living persons on circulating currency. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) has introduced legislation to exempt former presidents from that restriction. The bill remains pending in the House Financial Services Committee with 15 Republican co-sponsors and has not yet been scheduled for a vote. To pass the Senate, it would need to clear the 60-vote threshold. The Treasury Department stated that the Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s operating funds come from product sales, not congressional appropriations, so no taxpayer money is involved. The issue has sparked intense bipartisan debate. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries dismissed it as “Monopoly money” and criticized the administration, saying “focus on yourself.”