Published by TrenBuzz.com | May 28, 2026
Key Points at a Glance – Bessent Confirms a Trump $250 Bill Design
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed on May 28 that his department has already created a design for a Trump $250 bill.
- Federal law currently bans any living person from appearing on US currency or banknotes.
- Proposed legislation in both the House and Senate would create an exception for Trump specifically.
- Rep. Joe Wilson introduced the “Donald J. Trump $250 Bill Act” in February 2025.
- Trump’s signature will also appear on future US paper currency for the first time in history.
- Hillary Clinton trolled the announcement, saying the $250 bill would barely cover a gallon of gas by Trump’s term end.
There is now a design sitting inside the US Treasury Department for a brand-new $250 bill featuring Donald Trump’s face. And the Secretary of the Treasury just confirmed it publicly from the White House podium.
“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 during a White House press briefing where he filled in for press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is on maternity leave.
Why Federal Law Has to Change First
For more than a century, federal law has stipulated that only deceased individuals may appear on US currency. As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, proposed legislation could amend the Federal Reserve Act and allow a portrait of President Donald J. Trump to be printed on a $250 bill.
Bessent said at the White House that authorizing the new currency will be up to lawmakers on Capitol Hill, but that “we have created the bill” because “we have to be prepared.”
What Critics Are Saying
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was among the critics who derided the proposed $250 note on social media, saying: “By the end of Trump’s term, it will be just enough to buy one gallon of gas and a carton of eggs.”
Sen. Mark Warner called it completely detached from the challenges families face every day, pointing to gold-plated ballrooms, Capitol rioter rewards, and now a $250 bill with Trump’s face as evidence of misplaced presidential priorities.
The 250th Anniversary Branding Push
The effort to memorialize Trump on money does not stop at his face. The Treasury announced in March that Trump’s and Bessent’s signatures will appear on future US paper currency, marking the first time in history a sitting president’s signature appears on US banknotes.
America’s 250th birthday is being branded, one denomination at a time.
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational and news reporting purposes only. All quotes and details are sourced from NBC News, Spectrum News, Boston Globe, MS Now, and C-SPAN as of May 28, 2026. No $250 bill has been legally authorized or printed. The proposed legislation had not passed both chambers of Congress as of publication. TrenBuzz.com does not provide financial or investment advice. Readers are encouraged to follow official Treasury Department and Congressional sources for the latest updates.