Trump Administration Officials Push for $250 Commemorative Note

Treasury Department officials have been actively pushing the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) to design a $250 banknote featuring the portrait of President Donald Trump [2]. While the administration maintains it is preparing for a potential congressional mandate to commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary, current federal law prohibits the depiction of living individuals on United States currency [1].

Key takeaways

• Federal law, specifically an 1866 statute known as the Thayer Amendment, bars the use of a living person’s image on U.S. notes or securities [1].
• U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach and his senior adviser, Mike Brown, reportedly provided staff with mock-up designs for the note, which included the president’s face [2].
• Patricia Solimene, the former director of the BEP, was reassigned from her post after raising legal and procedural concerns regarding the project [1].
• While the $250 bill remains a proposal, the Treasury has already begun printing $100 bills that feature President Trump’s signature [2].

Internal friction and design efforts

The effort to create the new currency has been led by U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach and his aide, Mike Brown, who repeatedly urged BEP staff to prepare prototypes [2]. According to records and employee accounts, Beach provided the bureau with design mock-ups in late 2025, including one featuring the president’s face positioned between the signatures of the president and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent [2]. British artist Iain Alexander, who claims to have designed the mock-up, stated that President Trump personally endorsed additions to the design, such as specific colors and a 250th-anniversary logo [2].

The push has faced significant internal resistance. Patricia Solimene, the first female director of the bureau and a 24-year Army veteran, reportedly told officials that the agency lacked the authorization to produce the note and that the process would take years [2]. Following her pushback, Solimene was abruptly reassigned from her position in April 2026 [2]. Her successor, Michael Brown, was subsequently named the bureau’s acting director [1]. During a press briefing, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the planning as "appropriate due diligence" while insisting the department would continue to "stick to the law" [1].

Why it matters

The proposal to feature a living president on currency represents a significant departure from 150 years of tradition [2]. While Republican lawmakers have introduced legislation to create an exception to the law, the bill has languished in Congress with little progress [1]. Experts, including former BEP director Larry R. Felix, note that a $250 denomination is not currently authorized by statute and would require formal congressional approval [2]. As the administration continues to integrate the president's likeness into federal projects—ranging from commemorative coins to the renaming of federal buildings—the debate over the $250 note highlights the ongoing tension between the executive branch's branding efforts and established federal regulations [1].