Trump administration officials have pushed the federal agency responsible for printing U.S. currency to explore the possibility of creating a new $250 bill featuring President Donald Trump’s portrait, according to four current and former employees familiar with the discussions. If approved, it would be the first time in more than 150 years that a living person appeared on American paper money.
The effort reportedly began last year when two Treasury Department political appointees — U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach and senior adviser Mike Brown — repeatedly encouraged staff at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to prepare prototype designs for the proposed note. Employees said the requests immediately raised legal concerns because federal law currently only allows deceased individuals to appear on U.S. currency.
According to bureau staff and records reviewed by The Washington Post, Beach supplied mock-up designs for the bill in August and September. One design featured Trump’s portrait prominently displayed in the center of the $250 note alongside the signatures of the president and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
British painter Iain Alexander, who said he created the design, told The Post that Trump personally reviewed the artwork and suggested changes, including adding American flag colors and imagery tied to the country’s upcoming 250th anniversary celebration.
“He absolutely loved it,” Alexander said.
Alexander, who has painted members of the British royal family and describes himself as a royal portrait artist, said he understood the proposal would still require congressional approval before moving forward.
Federal law banning living people from appearing on U.S. currency dates back to 1866 after a Treasury official’s portrait appeared on a 5-cent note. Although legislation was introduced in Congress last year that would authorize a Trump $250 bill as part of America’s semiquincentennial celebration, the proposal has not advanced beyond committee review.
In a statement, the Treasury Department confirmed the Bureau of Engraving and Printing has been conducting “appropriate planning and due diligence” related to the proposed legislation.
“Should this legislative mandate be signed into law, the BEP is moving proactively to produce a $250 commemorative note which will appropriately recognize the 250th Anniversary of our great nation,” the statement said.
Employees at the bureau said former director Patricia “Patty” Solimene repeatedly warned Treasury officials that producing a new denomination would involve significant legal, technical, and logistical challenges. Designing and releasing new currency often takes years because of extensive security testing and coordination with agencies like the Federal Reserve and Secret Service.
WaPo: Trump appointees push $250
banknote with his portraitThe printing director who resisted the effort said she was reassigned last month. “The buck stopped here,” she wrote in her goodbye.https://t.co/1drb9IBSV2
— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) May 28, 2026
“She had told them we’re not authorized to do this,” one employee said. “Currency often takes six to eight years to produce a new bill, particularly one of such high value.”
Solimene was reassigned from her role in April. In a farewell email obtained by The Washington Post, she wrote that the reassignment was “not my choice” and emphasized that she had always prioritized the integrity of the U.S. currency program.
Brown, who previously served as Beach’s adviser, has since been named acting director of the bureau.
Treasury officials denied that Beach instructed staff to print the bill before legislation passed. However, employees also said the bureau had already agreed to another administration request: printing $100 bills bearing Trump’s signature, which would make them the first U.S. bills in history to feature the signature of a sitting president.
Currency experts say the legal barriers surrounding a $250 Trump note remain substantial. Former Bureau of Engraving and Printing director Larry Felix said Congress would first need to authorize both the denomination itself and Trump’s portrait on the note.
“A $250 note is not statutorily authorized,” Felix said. “The secretary has to be given authority to do that.”
The proposal aligns with broader Trump administration plans tied to America’s 250th anniversary celebration. Trump has also proposed building a 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery and creating a “Garden of Heroes” in Washington featuring statues of historical figures.
In February 2025, Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina introduced legislation directing the Treasury Department to print a $250 Federal Reserve note featuring Trump. The bill has yet to receive a hearing in the House Financial Services Committee.
Meanwhile, Alexander said he continues to work on additional art projects connected to the America 250 celebration, though communication with Trump has reportedly slowed since the outbreak of war in Iran.
