May 28, 2026
You’ve probably already seen this. No, it’s not fake. It’s real. This is a mockup of a $250 bill with President Trump’s face on it. And yes—as of today—this would be illegal to produce. But the Treasury Department is preparing it anyway, just in case.
So what legislation is Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent talking about? This one: the Donald J. Trump $250 Bill Act. It was introduced by Representative Joe Wilson, a Republican from South Carolina, in late February. The bill is pretty short, and it does two things.
One, it amends the current law dating back to 1866, which forbids the portraits of living people from appearing on U.S. currency, and instead allows individuals who have served as president to appear on currency.
And two, it amends the 1913 Federal Reserve Act and orders the Treasury Department to print a $250 bill featuring Trump’s face no later than one year after the date of enactment of the bill.
When he introduced this bill, Representative Wilson said this was necessary because, “President Trump is working tirelessly to fight inflation and help American families. This achievement is deserving of currency recognition, which is why I am grateful to introduce this legislation. The most valuable bill for the most valuable President!”
And the Treasury secretary agreed today. He basically said there’s nothing wrong with putting Trump’s face on a bill.
So is this going to happen? It seems unlikely. Right now, the bill has been referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. If it were ever to make it to the floor of the House for an actual vote, it would have to go through a lengthy committee process, then pass out of committee and get on the House floor schedule. Then it would need to pass the House, and if it does—and doesn’t get rolled into another bill—it would also need 60 votes in the Senate.
And as I always say, the closer we get to an election, the less likely it is that Congress will pass anything. So on top of the controversial nature of this bill, there’s also a timing issue here.
Watch Secretary Bessent’s press briefing here.
Read proposed legislation here.
Read more from the bill sponsor here.
See the alternate bill here.
