Trump to Become First Sitting President to Sign US Banknotes
Donald Trump's signature will appear on American banknotes from this summer, making him the first sitting president ever to sign US banknotes, the Treasury Department announced on Thursday.
The first $100 bills bearing Trump's signature alongside the signature of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will be printed in June, with other bills being released in the following months. The new notes may take several weeks to reach banks. The change also ends an unbroken tradition dating back to 1861: for the first time in 165 years, the signature of the US Treasurer will no longer appear on currency. Lynn Malerba, who served under the Biden administration, will be the last treasurer to have signed American money.
Bessent framed the move as fitting for the country's 250th anniversary. "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, and it is only appropriate that this historic currency be issued at the Semiquincentennial," he said.
The overall design of the bills will not change, only the signature arrangement is being altered. Under existing law, portraits on circulating currency must depict deceased individuals, which blocked an earlier effort to put Trump's image on a $1 coin. A separate commemorative 24-karat gold coin bearing Trump's likeness was approved last week by a federal arts commission whose members he appointed.
The announcement is the latest in a series of moves associating Trump's name with public institutions and programmes since his return to the White House, including the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the US Institute of Peace and an upcoming class of warships. During his first term, his name appeared on the paper support cheques sent to millions of Americans during the Covid-19 pandemic.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, who is widely seen as a leading contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, was quick to respond. "Now Americans will know exactly who to blame as they're paying more for groceries, gas, rent, and health care," he posted on social media. It is worth noting that US GDP grew 2.2% in 2025, which is slightly below the 2.5% average expansion seen between 2022 and 2024 under Biden.
Notes bearing the signatures of Biden's Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Treasurer Malerba continue to be printed in the meantime. Malerba declined to comment on the change. Current Treasurer Brandon Beach, whose name has not appeared on currency, issued a supportive statement saying Trump was the architect of a "golden age economic revival."
