Donald Trump to become first sitting US President to have signature on banknotes

Donald Trump is set to become the first sitting U.S. president to have his signature appear on American banknotes, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced, a move timed to coincide with the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Trump’s signature will appear alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, marking an unprecedented development in U.S. currency history. Traditionally, U.S. banknotes have carried only the signatures of the treasury secretary and the treasurer, a practice that has been followed since 1861.

"There is no more powerful way to recognize the historic achievements of our great country and President Donald J Trump than U.S. dollar bills bearing his name," Bessent said, emphasising the symbolic nature of the initiative. The first $100 bills featuring the signatures of Trump and Bessent are scheduled to be printed in June, with additional denominations to follow.

Currently circulating notes carry the signatures of former President Joe Biden’s Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Treasurer Lynn Malerba. The new plan would effectively end the long-standing tradition of excluding sitting presidents’ signatures from U.S. currency.

The Treasury has framed the decision as part of broader efforts to associate President Trump’s name with a range of government programmes, public buildings, and national commemorations. Earlier this year, a federal arts commission approved the minting of a commemorative 24-karat gold coin bearing Trump’s image, also intended to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday. During his first term, Trump’s name also appeared on stimulus cheques distributed to millions of Americans during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Current U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach assured the public that the currency would continue to represent “prosperity, strength, and the unshakable spirit of the American people,” even with the unprecedented inclusion of a sitting president’s signature.

The announcement has drawn criticism from some political figures. California Governor Gavin Newsom, a long-time critic of Trump, condemned the decision, highlighting concerns over the economic challenges facing Americans. "Now Americans will know exactly who to blame as they're paying more for groceries, gas, rent, and health care," Newsom posted on social media, tying the symbolic move to broader economic frustration.

The 250th anniversary commemorates the formal declaration of independence by the 13 original American colonies in 1776, a milestone celebrated nationwide with a series of events, commemorative coins, and now, historic banknotes bearing the signature of the sitting president.