The US Treasury Department announced Thursday that President Donald Trump’s signature will appear on future US paper currency, marking the first time a sitting president’s name will be printed on American bills.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in a press release, framed the move as symbolic, saying US currency should reflect the country’s economic standing under Trump’s leadership and serve as a marker of the nation’s “fiscal strength and stability.”
The decision breaks with longstanding precedent. For more than a century, US banknotes have carried the signatures of Treasury officials — not the president.
The Treasury said the move, in part, was to commemorate the coming 250th anniversary of American independence, as the administration pursues a broader effort to mark the milestone through currency and coin redesigns.
The Treasury said new bills bearing Trump’s signature, along with that of the Treasury Secretary, will begin being issued at the semiquincentennial, though it is unclear which bills will bear Trump’s signature or how long the initiative is expected to last.
“The decision for Trump to end years of precedent of Treasury Secretaries signing bills is another piece of evidence that Trump is trying to brand everything in his name, even though it is unusual and in the mold of what more undemocratic leaders typically do in other countries,” Christian Grose, a professor of political science and public policy at the University of Southern California, told Business Insider.
Grose said the move risks making using cash a partisan act, potentially making Trump’s supporters more enthusiastic about cash payments, and Democrats more likely to use electronic payments. However, Grose added, he wasn’t sure how effective the move would be.
The US is currently facing a tougher economic climate.
The US dollar has faced downward pressure in recent months, driven in part by sweeping tariffs that have rattled global trade and increased import costs, as well as the ongoing war in Iran, which has heightened geopolitical risk and unsettled currency markets.
Economists have warned that both factors can weaken demand for the dollar by slowing growth and increasing uncertainty.
The currency change is the latest example of Trump placing his imprint on federal institutions and national symbols, following efforts to feature his likeness on commemorative coins and other government-backed projects.
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