U.S. to issue commemorative passports with Trump’s picture for America’s 250th birthday : NPR
A sample of a limited edition commemorative U.S. passport celebrating America’s 250th birthday and featuring a photo of President Donald Trump, is pictured Tuesday, April 28, 2026.
Jon Elswick/AP
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Jon Elswick/AP
WASHINGTON — The State Department announced Tuesday that it is preparing a limited edition of commemorative U.S. passports celebrating America’s 250th birthday, featuring a photo of President Donald Trump, who would be the first living president to appear on the travel document.
The concept for the special passport, including a depiction of Trump’s stern face, had been under consideration for months before finally being approved Monday evening. Between 25,000 and 30,000 new passports will be available to applicants at the Washington, DC passport office shortly before July 4.
It’s the latest example of Trump having his name and image added to buildings, documents and other highly visible tributes. Efforts are being made to put Trump’s signature on all new US paper money, also a first for a sitting president, as well as to include his image on a commemorative gold coin to celebrate the country’s founding.
The commemorative passport will be the default document for people applying in person at the Washington office, although those who want a standard passport will be able to obtain one by applying online or outside Washington, officials said.
A sample of a limited edition commemorative U.S. passport celebrating America’s 250th birthday and featuring a photo of President Donald Trump, is pictured Tuesday, April 28, 2026.
Jon Elswick/AP
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Jon Elswick/AP
“As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary in July, the State Department is preparing to release a limited number of specially designed U.S. passports to commemorate this historic event,” said State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott.
“These passports will feature custom artwork and enhanced images while maintaining the same security features that make the U.S. passport the most secure document in the world,” he said.
The limited-release passport will feature Trump’s photo over a gold print of his signature on an interior page, while the cover will feature the words “United States of America” in bold gold font at the top and “Passport” at the bottom – a reversal of the standard cover.
In addition, a small gold laminated American flag, with the number 250 surrounded by stars, will be present at the bottom of the back cover.
The Bulwark reported on the commemorative passports earlier.
The only presidents on current U.S. passports are on a double-page spread depicting Mount Rushmore in South Dakota: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.
Other depictions include the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell, and Independence Hall in Philadelphia, as well as scenes of the Great Plains, mountains, and islands. Current passports also contain quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. as well as Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Dwight Eisenhower.
Adding Trump’s photo and signature to the passport book is the latest move by his aides to raise the president’s profile, including adding his name to the American Peacebuilding Institute and the Kennedy Center’s Performing Arts Hall.
Trump also made waves with his plans to build a new ballroom at the White House and a massive arch at one of Washington’s entrances from Virginia.
