In 1989, Donald Trump released a Monopoly-style board game featuring money depicting his own face. Now, that’s poised to imminently happen in real life.
What the legislation does
Trump is scheduled to appear on coins starting this summer, an unprecedented move in living memory. Democratic legislation in Congress would ban a sitting president or living ex-president from appearing on U.S. money.
There are currently four living ex-presidents: Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. The legislation would ostensibly apply to them too, although none are currently scheduled to appear on U.S. money, as Trump is.
In the House, Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY15) introduced the TRUMP (The Restrict Ugly Money Portraits) Act last September.
In the Senate, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced the similar Change Corruption Act two months later, last December. (“Change” in the bill’s title works as a double entendre, meaning both “alter” and the colloquial term for loose coins.)
Context: the news
In March, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts – consisting entirely of Trump appointees – approved a new coin design depicting him. Trump is shown glowering with his fists on a table, based on his picture displayed at the National Portrait Gallery.
Why is there a new coin design, anyway?
In 2020, Congress enacted the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act, authorizing a new dollar coin to honor the Declaration of Independence’s 250th anniversary in 2026.
However, the Congress of 2020 didn’t specify who or what this design would actually depict, instead leaving the decision up to the Treasury Department of 2026.
(The coin actually does contain some non-Trump elements more directly related to the Declaration’s anniversary, like a bald eagle and the phrase “Liberty: 1776-2026.”)
Is this legal?
Is this legal? Apparently, yes – due to a technicality dating back 160 years.
Back in 1866, a federal government official named Spencer Clark exploited a loophole to put an image of his own face on American money.
Congress enacted a law calling for a new money design to depict William Clark, of the explorer duo “Lewis and Clark.” But by referencing “Lewis and Clark,” they only implied his first name rather than saying it directly. Since the law technically only required the bill to depict someone with the last name “Clark,” Spencer Clark decided to put himself instead.
Many Americans were appalled, calling this too similar to the British monarchy from which the U.S. had broken away. (Indeed, the current monarch, King Charles III, appears on the £5, £10, £20, and £50 British banknotes.)
So Congress enacted a law banning any living person from being featured on “bonds, securities, notes, fractional or postal currency of the United States.” Essentially: bills.
But that left a loophole: a living person could still be featured on American coins.
What supporters say
The modern legislation’s supporters argue that no current or living president should appear on American money, whether it's Trump or even presidents Democrats support, like Obama.
“Like tattoos, presidents don’t always age well… regardless of anyone’s political party or viewpoint,” Rep. Torres said in a press release. “If you can’t appear on the U.S. dollar while you’re alive, you shouldn’t appear on any U.S. coins. Even North Korea doesn’t do that.”
(That’s true: the only real person currently on North Korean currency is the country’s founder, Kim Il-sung, who died in 1994.)
“President Trump’s self-celebrating maneuvers are authoritarian actions worthy of dictators, not the United States of America,” Sen. Merkley said in a separate press release. “We must reject his efforts to dismantle our ‘We The People’ republic and replace it with a strongman state.”
What opponents say
Opponents counter that Trump’s depiction is perfect for the money.
“As we approach our 250th birthday, we are thrilled to prepare coins that represent the enduring spirit of our country and democracy,” U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach said. “And there is no profile more emblematic for the front of such coins than that of our serving President, Donald J. Trump,”
Opponents also note history is on their side: 100 years ago, in 1926, President Calvin Coolidge appeared on a coin while he was still in office. (Although it hasn’t happened since.)
What happens now?
The House version has attracted one Democratic cosponsor, Rep. Sam Liccardo (D-CA16), and was referred to the House Financial Services Committee.
The Senate version has attracted five Democratic cosponsors and was referred to the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee.
In December, nine Democratic senators wrote to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, urging him to reject a potential Trump coin design. It’s unclear why four Democrats signed onto that letter but haven’t yet cosponsored the legislation: Sens. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Jack Reed (D-RI), and Adam Schiff (D-CA).Jesse Rifkin is a freelance journalist with The Fulcrum. Don’t miss his report, Congress Bill Spotlight, on The Fulcrum. Rifkin’s writings about politics and Congress have been published in the Washington Post, Politico, Roll Call, Los Angeles Times, CNN Opinion, GovTrack, and USA Today.
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