US government prepares to print $250 note featuring Trump's face

The Trump administration is preparing to print a new $250 bill featuring the president's portrait, a move requiring Congress to override laws barring living persons on currency and authorizing the unusual denomination [1]. A Treasury Department spokesperson confirmed the agency is conducting "appropriate planning and due diligence" should legislation mandating the bill become law [1]. The proposed $250 note is intended to commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary [1]. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), the Treasury agency responsible for designing and producing U.S. paper currency, has requested design concepts [1][8]. Current federal law prohibits placing the likeness of a living person on U.S. currency and does not include $250 among authorized denominations [1]. The legislation, introduced by Republican Representative Joe Wilson, would need to pass both chambers of Congress [1]. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated the department would follow the law and that preparations were contingent on congressional action [1]. Democratic Senator Mark Warner criticized the initiative. "As Americans struggle with the rising cost of gas, groceries, housing, and health care, President Trump's priorities for taxpayer dollars are completely detached from the challenges families face every day," he said [1]. The process for issuing new currency is lengthy and involves multiple agencies, including the Federal Reserve Board and the U.S. Secret Service, with designs kept secret until six to eight months before release to prevent counterfeiting [1]. It is unclear if the bill could be produced by the July 4 anniversary date [1]. The BEP operates under the general direction of the Treasury Secretary [10]. If approved, the $250 note would be the highest denomination in active circulation, surpassing the $100 bill [1]. The U.S. has not issued a new high-denomination note for general circulation since the $500, $1,000, and $10,000 bills were discontinued in 1969 [1]. This effort is part of a broader pattern under the Trump administration to affix the president's name and likeness to public institutions, including the renaming of the Kennedy Center and new designs for passports and Air Force One [1].