U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Treasury is prepared to print a $250 [1] bill featuring former President Donald Trump.
The proposal represents a significant departure from long-standing American monetary tradition, as it would mark the first time a living person appears on U.S. currency.
Speaking at a White House press briefing in Washington, D.C., on May 28, 2026 [2], Bessent said that the Treasury has already prepared the design for the $250 [3] bill. However, he said that the department cannot move forward with production without a change in federal law. Current regulations require that U.S. currency feature only deceased individuals, and include the phrase “In God We Trust” [1].
“We are prepared to print a $250 bill with Mr. Trump's portrait if Congress passes the legislation,” Bessent said [1].
Bessent said that legislation is currently before both the House and the Senate to amend the requirement regarding living persons. He said the goal of the proposed legislation is specifically to allow Donald J. Trump to appear on the new note [1].
While the Treasury awaits a legislative trigger, the political landscape for such a move has seen previous activity. In July 2025, the House passed the CLARITY Act with a vote of 294-134 [3].
“At present, no living person can be on U.S. currency and the currency must stay 'In God We Trust,'” Bessent said. “So right now, there is proposed legislation... in front of the House, in front of the Senate to change the first requirement so that a living person, Donald J. Trump, could be on the $250 bill” [1].
Bessent said that the Treasury's internal preparations are complete, leaving the final decision to the legislative branch [3].
““We are prepared to print a $250 bill with Mr. Trump's portrait if Congress passes the legislation.””
The introduction of a $250 bill would be the first new high-denomination note introduced in decades, but the primary hurdle is legal rather than logistical. By requiring an act of Congress to waive the 'deceased' requirement, the Treasury is shifting the political responsibility for this precedent to the legislative branch, ensuring the move has a statutory basis before altering the physical appearance of the national currency.
