Announcement is the latest example of Trump literally stamping his name on US institutions.
Published On 27 Mar 2026
United States President Donald Trump’s signature will soon appear on US currency under plans to mark the 250th anniversary of the country’s Independence Day on July 4.
The move announced by the US Department of the Treasury on Thursday marks a first for a sitting president.
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Until now, US banknotes – which are divided into denominations of $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 – have featured the signature of the Treasury secretary and the treasurer.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Trump had put the country on a path towards “unprecedented economic growth” and “fiscal strength and stability”, and the change would recognise his “historic achievements”.
Under Trump, economic growth has been broadly in line with the post-pandemic trend overseen by his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden.
US gross domestic product (GDP) grew 2.2 percent in 2025, slightly below the 2.5 percent average expansion from 2022-2024.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, who is widely seen as a frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for president in 2028, mocked the Treasury’s announcement.
“Now Americans will know exactly who to blame as they’re paying more for groceries, gas, rent, and health care,” Newsom said in a post on social media.
The Trump administration’s latest precedent-busting move comes a week after the US Commission of Fine Arts, led by Trump appointee Rodney Mims Cook Jr, approved the minting of a commemorative gold coin bearing the Republican president’s image.
The announcement, which relied on a loophole in a law that prohibits depictions of living presidents on circulating currency, prompted backlash from critics, who likened the move to the behaviour of dictators and monarchs.
Trump, who aggressively pushed his personal brand during his career as a real estate mogul, has attached his name to a growing list of institutions and projects since returning to the White House, including the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the US Institute of Peace and an upcoming class of battle ships.