President Donald Trump and his allies have kept busy trying to attach the president’s name, image or likeness to various landmarks and items, to the delight of some and angst of others.
The Kennedy Center is now the Trump Kennedy Center, his signature will appear on $100 bills and his face is set to be shown on a 24-karat gold commemorative coin.
To commemorate America’s 250th birthday, the State Department has announced a limited edition passport will feature Trump on a page in the U.S. passport, Fox News reports.
What it looks like
Released images of the passport show Trump with a serious face with the Declaration of Independence blended in with the U.S. flag surrounding him. Trump’s signature in gold, above the words “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” appears at the bottom.
Another image shows a similar format with a picture of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
“As the United States celebrates America’s 250th anniversary in July, the State Department is preparing to release a limited number of specially designed U.S. passports to commemorate this historic occasion,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott told Fox News.
Pigott says the booklets will have the “same security features that make the U.S. passport the most secure documents in the world.”
The passport with Trump’s face will only be available when it rolls out this summer for a limited time and will be the default design at the Washington, D.C., passport office. The passport will be available until the unspecified “limited number of specially designed” passports are sold out, The New York Times reports.
The classic design will still be available to those who do not want the America 250 design.
Why it’s significant
Trump’s appearance in the passport marks the first time a living president will be featured in the documentation. He is also the only living president whose name is attached to a federal building, with two: the Kennedy Center and the Institute of Peace.
According to the Times, Trump being featured on a commemorative gold coin will be just the second time a living president is featured on a coin, the only other time being the country’s 150th celebration when Calvin Coolidge was next to George Washington on a commemorative half-dollar coin.
Differing from buildings and currency, passports are internationally recognized documents and are valid for 10 years. With Trump’s image on the inside cover, he will remain attached, at least on the passports, to the U.S. internationally for years after his time in office.
The following is a list of U.S. buildings, items and programs Trump’s image and likeness have been attached to:
- Trump Kennedy Center
- Donald J. Trump U.S. Institute of Peace building
- Signature on $100 bill
- Trump’s image on $1 gold coin
- Trump Gold cards providing another path to citizenship include Trump’s face
- National Parks passes show his face alongside George Washington’s
- Trump Accounts, designed as tax-advantage investment accounts
- TrumpRx, allowing access to lower-priced prescriptions