The U.S. State Department will issue a limited-edition passport featuring the face and signature of U.S. President Donald Trump to mark the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding. It is an unusual step to engrave the face of a sitting president on a passport, an official government ID. The U.S. government said it is part of the festivities for the 250th anniversary of the founding.
According to a compilation of reports by major outlets including Politico and Fox News on the 28th (local time), the State Department plans to issue special passports with a portrait of President Trump starting in July. The new passport will place Trump's face on the inside cover against the backdrop of the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the Stars and Stripes. Below that, Trump's signature will be printed in gold. Another page will feature the famous painting of the Founding Fathers signing the Declaration of Independence. On the back cover, the number "250" will be engraved at the center among the 13 stars on the 1777 flag, the State Department said.
The passport will be issued in limited quantities only at the passport agency in Washington, D.C., until supplies run out. If you apply online or at other regional agencies, you will receive the existing design. There is no additional expense.
State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott told NBC, "We are releasing a limited number of specially designed U.S. passports in July to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding," and "while staying true to the function of the U.S. passport as 'the most secure document in the world,' this passport also adds the qualities of a customized work of art."
The White House welcomed the move. White House Spokesperson Olivia Wales said, "The new passport design is another great way to join in America's 250th birthday." The step is part of the Trump administration's "America 250" project. Using July, which includes Independence Day, as a starting point, the Trump administration is preparing large-scale celebrations such as a mixed martial arts tournament on the White House South Lawn and a National Mall car race.
In particular, since beginning a second term, President Trump has steadily increased cases of attaching his name or likeness to federal agencies and programs. Earlier, President Trump renamed the Kennedy Center, the nation's premier performing arts venue in Washington, D.C., the "Trump Kennedy Center." For the first time since the founding, the dollar bill bears the sitting president's signature.