Breaking a century-old taboo! The U.S. Department of the Treasury rolls out a “Trump Portrait $250” banknote, only for the director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to stop it—leading to a cruel fate of getting removed from his post.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has revealed a major personnel and currency controversy! According to foreign media reports, Trump administration officials are actively pushing to issue a new $250 bill featuring Donald Trump’s portrait to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026. However, this move not only directly violates a century-old law prohibiting living persons from appearing on U.S. currency but also triggers an internal upheaval — the first female engraver was dismissed in protest against the plan. Currently, Republican lawmakers have proposed legislation to protect and support the initiative, sparking widespread criticism of this unprecedented deification campaign.
(Background summary: The U.S. Treasury officially launched the “Trump Accounts” official app: fully operational on July 4, encouraging nationwide stock trading from a young age)
(Additional background: Trump is suing The Wall Street Journal for $10 billion! Claiming they fabricated stories using Epstein’s birthday card)

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• Pressuring the printing factory, British artist designs “Trump-specific currency”
• Opponents forced out, engraver director leaves a final “Responsibility ends here”
• Congress supports Trump, critics condemn “the biggest vanity project in history”

A monetary tradition in U.S. history spanning over 150 years may be completely broken in 2026.

According to in-depth reports by The Washington Post and The Daily Beast on May 28, 2026, high-level officials in the Trump administration’s Treasury Department are actively pressuring to design and issue a new $250 bill featuring President Donald Trump’s portrait at the center, to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence (Semiquincentennial).

Pressuring the printing factory, British artist designs “Trump-specific currency”

The report states that this highly controversial plan is mainly driven by U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach and his senior advisor Mike Brown. Between August and September 2025, the two repeatedly pressured the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), which is responsible for printing U.S. currency, to produce prototypes of the new bill.

It is understood that Beach personally provided the design draft. The $250 bill will prominently feature Trump’s portrait in the center and unusually include signatures from Trump himself and current Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. This also aligns with the Treasury’s recent announcement that future new bills will feature the signatures of sitting presidents (Trump).

The design of this bill was handled by British artist Iain Alexander, who proposed that the reverse side feature Betsy Ross, the American flag maker, symbolizing women’s liberation during the Revolutionary War era. Alexander revealed that he personally presented the design to Trump for approval, receiving strong support; Trump even praised him as “my favorite British artist.”

Opponents forced out, engraver director leaves a final “Responsibility ends here”

However, this personal worship-themed proposal faced significant internal backlash within the Treasury Department. The main reason is that since the Civil War in the 19th century, U.S. law has explicitly prohibited portraits of living persons from appearing on currency to prevent the revival of monarchical tendencies.

Patricia “Patty” Solimene, the then-director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (the first woman to hold this position), sternly warned that the plan was illegal without congressional authorization and that designing and implementing anti-counterfeiting features typically takes several years. As a result, the principled Solimene was suddenly dismissed on April 27, 2026, reassigned to another department within the Treasury, with her position taken over by Mike Brown, who was pushing the plan.

In her farewell email, Solimene quoted former President Truman’s famous words: “The buck stops here,” strongly implying her departure was not voluntary. Many bureau employees, fearing retaliation, only spoke to the media anonymously.

Congress supports Trump, critics condemn “the biggest vanity project in history”

Due to legal restrictions, the $250 bill remains in the proposal and prototype stage and has not yet entered production. However, Republicans in Congress have launched efforts to push it forward.

South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson introduced the “Donald J. Trump $250 Bill Act” (H.R. 1761) in 2025, requiring the Treasury to produce the bill within a year and explicitly waive the restriction that sitting or former presidents cannot appear on currency. Currently, the bill is under review by the House Financial Services Committee.

In response, the Treasury Department issued a cautious statement, emphasizing that the Bureau of Engraving and Printing is conducting “appropriate planning and due diligence,” and if Congress passes legislation, they will actively cooperate in production. Supporters believe that high-denomination bills can help address inflation and serve as a fitting tribute to Trump; however, critics and some media strongly condemn it as an unprecedented “vanity project,” severely damaging the political neutrality and historical tradition of U.S. currency.