President Trump shared an image Friday of a $100 bill bearing his own signature, posting it to Truth Social just ahead of the Fourth of July holiday. The image shows his signature positioned above that of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, marking what would be the first time a sitting president’s signature has appeared on US paper currency.
The announcement builds on plans first revealed by the Treasury Department in March, when Bessent said the administration intended to add Trump’s signature to US currency in honor of the country’s 250th anniversary. It remains unclear whether bills bearing the new signature are currently in production, though some reports indicate printing may have already begun as early as June.
A break from more than a century of tradition
Since 1861, US banknotes have traditionally carried the signatures of the Treasury secretary and the treasurer of the United States rather than the president. That practice changes under this update, with Treasurer Brandon Beach previously stating that the shift reflects the president’s role in the country’s economic direction, while maintaining that US currency continues to represent stability and national identity.
Beach and Bessent both framed the move as a fitting tribute tied to the country’s semiquincentennial. Bessent said earlier this year that printing the president’s name on currency is both appropriate and warranted given his mark on the nation’s economic history.
Talk of going even further
Some members of Congress have pushed for a bigger change, introducing legislation that would place Trump’s portrait on a commemorative $250 bill. That effort faces a steeper path, since federal law currently states that only a deceased individual’s portrait may appear on US currency, meaning the bill would need to carve out a specific exception for current or former presidents. Passing such a change would also require support from Democratic senators, making the outcome far from certain.
Despite the legal hurdle, preparations have already moved forward in some form. Engraving and printing staff reportedly began working on prototype designs for the $250 bill earlier this year, featuring both Trump’s portrait and signature.
Part of a broader pattern
The currency update fits into a larger pattern throughout Trump’s second term of associating his name and image with government properties and documents. His administration has placed his name or likeness on a redesigned passport, national park passes, signage outside federal agencies, and even new investment accounts created for babies. A commission appointed entirely by Trump also approved a 24 karat gold coin featuring his portrait earlier this year, a rare move given that federal law generally bars living presidents from appearing on currency. Calvin Coolidge remains the only other president to have appeared on a coin during his own lifetime.
Mixed reactions online and in Washington
The announcement has drawn both support and criticism. Some social media users praised the move, with several commenters expressing enthusiasm about seeing Trump’s signature on their money. Others have pushed further, suggesting his portrait should replace Benjamin Franklin’s on the bill entirely.
Critics have framed the decision differently. California Governor Gavin Newsom, a frequent critic of the administration, tied the currency change to broader complaints about the cost of living, suggesting that rising prices for everyday goods should factor into how Americans view the president’s economic record.
For now, the image remains the clearest public confirmation of the currency change, with the administration yet to formally announce a release timeline for bills bearing Trump’s signature.