The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced on Thursday, March 26, that Donald Trump will be the first sitting president to have his signature appear on U.S. dollar bills, in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the U.S.
This decision immediately raises questions about the future of the bills when the current government resigns. According to American law, all issued coins and bills remain legal tender forever, but a subsequent government could quietly stop printing these bills.
Trump breaks 165-year-old economic tradition
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's signature will appear alongside Trump's on the bills. This will begin in June with the $100 bills, followed by other denominations. In a press release, Bessent stated that this choice is a recognition of the economic achievements of the administration.
“There is no better way to recognize the historic achievements of our great country and President Donald J. Trump than with American dollars bearing his name. It is therefore fitting that this historic bill is issued in honor of the Semiquincentennial,” he said.
Treasurer Brandon Beach agreed and called Trump 'the architect of America's economic boom period.'
“Printing his signature on American money is not only appropriate but also deserved,” Beach said.
The announcement marks a clear break with traditional usage.
Since 1861, U.S. banknotes have only borne the signatures of the treasury secretary and the treasurer. The bills currently in circulation bear the signatures of former secretary Janet Yellen and former treasurer Lynn Malerba.
There was an immediate response. California Governor Gavin Newsom was one of the first to respond and posted on X:
“Now Americans know exactly who to blame if they pay more for groceries, gas, rent, and healthcare.”
This decision is the latest in a series of actions by the Trump administration to associate the president's name with American institutions.
Large-scale naming campaign
In December of last year, the administration renamed the United States Institute of Peace to Trump. His name was placed on the headquarters after a prolonged dispute over the governance of the institute.
About two weeks later, the Kennedy Center also added Trump's name. Originally, that theater was designated by Congress as a living monument to former President John F. Kennedy.
On December 22, the pattern expanded to military equipment.
Trump announced plans for the Navy to build a new type of large battleship, as they are deemed necessary for modern naval power by his administration. Sky News reported at that moment that a senior government official confirmed that the ships would be called 'Trump Class' battleships.
But unlike renaming a building or renaming a battleship, removing a president's signature from the dollar bill is not simply a political choice. A future administration wanting to undo this would face significant practical and legal obstacles.
What the next U.S. president can and cannot do
According to the Legal Tender Act, all money issued by the U.S. government always remains valid and can be exchanged for the value on the bill.
No president, treasury secretary, or executive decision can invalidate the bills that are already in circulation. Only Congress has constitutional authority over legal tender, but no administration will quickly take the risk of the economic problems such a process could cause.
The only practical step a new administration can take is to instruct the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to stop printing bills with Trump's signature. New dollars would then be issued, quietly reverting to the old practice.
No new law is needed for this. The existing bills would gradually phase out of circulation as new dollars are printed.
However, that process takes some time. Depending on how many bills are printed before a subsequent administration adjusts the policy, money bearing Trump's signature may still be used for a long time.