Breaking: US Currency to Carry Trump’s Signature for the First Time as Sitting President
- The US Treasury Department announced plans to feature President Donald Trump’s signature on all new paper currency, marking a first for a sitting president
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the move honours America’s 250th birthday and confirmed his own signature would also appear alongside Trump’s
- Experts, including Michael Bordo of Rutgers University, noted the decision could spark political backlash but is legally permissible and might turn the bills into future collectors’ items
Washington DC, US - The US Treasury Department has announced plans to place President Donald Trump’s signature on all new paper currency, marking the first time a sitting president's name will appear on US bills.
Traditionally, US paper money carries only the signatures of the Treasury Secretary and the Treasurer, making this a historic break from convention.
Source: Getty Images
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed the initiative, saying the plan honours the nation’s 250th birthday.
“There is no more powerful way to recognize the historic achievements of our great country,” he stated, adding that his own signature will also appear alongside Trump’s.
Trump’s name added to American cultural symbols
The move continues Trump’s pattern of placing his name and likeness on prominent American institutions, following his renaming of the US Institute of Peace, the Kennedy Center, and a new class of battleships.
It also coincides with a federal commission approving the design of a 24-karat gold commemorative coin bearing Trump’s image to celebrate America’s semiquincentennial on July 4.
The US Commission of Fine Arts, composed of Trump appointees, voted without objection.
Experts weigh in on legality and implications
Michael Bordo, Director of the Center for Monetary and Financial History at Rutgers University, suggested the move could provoke political backlash but appears legally permissible, AFP reported.
“I do not know if he has crossed any legal red lines,” Bordo said, noting that the Treasury Secretary may have the authority to determine whose signature appears on currency.
Bordo added that,
“It also means that many years from now those bills will be collectors’ items.”
Critics voice concern amid economic pressures
Democrats have criticised the announcement, citing rising costs for groceries and fuel, worsened by the ongoing conflict in Iran.
Representative Shontel Brown, D-OH, tweeted, “Gross and un-American. But at least it will remind us who to thank when we pay more for gas, goods, and groceries.”
US Treasurer Brandon Beach defended the decision, calling it “not only appropriate, but also well deserved.”
Historic context of US currency
The authority to design and print paper money, known as “greenbacks,” was granted to the Treasury Secretary by Congress in 1862 to finance the Civil War, New York Times reported.
Source: Getty Images
Today, the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing produces all paper currency, while the US Mint handles coins. The Federal Reserve reports that over $2 trillion in notes are currently in circulation.
Trump issues fresh threat to Iran
Legit.ng reported that President Donald Trump called on the Islamic Republic of Iran to stop the ongoing Middle East unrest, adding that the Persian nation still had one more opportunity.
The US president also bragged that his administration had stopped the country from developing nuclear power, adding that if Iran failed to end the war, either way, the US and the world at large would soon know peace.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
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Ezra Ukanwa (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Ezra Ukanwa is a Reuters-certified journalist with over 5 years of professional experience. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication from Anchor University, Lagos. Currently, he is the Politics and Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng, where he brings his expertise to provide incisive, impactful coverage of national events. Ezra was recognized as Best Campus Journalist at the Anchor University Communications Awards in 2019 and is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM). Contact him at: ezra.ukanwa@corp.legit.ng or +2349036989944
