President Donald Trump posted a photo of a $100 bill bearing his signature on Truth Social on July 3, presenting the first paper currency to be signed by a living president.
Trump didn’t add a comment to the post, but the Treasury Department chimed in.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are on a path toward unprecedented economic growth, lasting dollar dominance, and fiscal strength and stability,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent posted on X on July 4.
“There is no more powerful way to recognize the historic achievements of our great country and President Donald J. Trump than U.S dollar bills bearing his signature, and it is only appropriate that this historic currency be issued at the Semiquincentennial.”
The Treasury announced in March that Trump’s signature would appear on future U.S. paper currency alongside that of the secretary of the Treasury in recognition of the nation’s 250th anniversary, the first time a sitting president’s signature has appeared on U.S. banknotes.
U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach said in March the updated currency will commemorate both the nation’s 250th anniversary and Trump’s economic legacy.
“As the 250th anniversary of our great nation approaches, American currency will continue to stand as a symbol of prosperity, strength, and the unshakable spirit of the American people under President Trump’s leadership,” Beach said in March. “The President’s mark on history as the architect of America’s Golden Age economic revival is undeniable. Printing his signature on the American currency is not only appropriate, but also well deserved.”
In April, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) questioned the Treasury Department’s decision to put Trump’s signature on U.S. paper currency, calling it a political gesture that does nothing to address the nation’s economic challenges.
In a letter to Bessent, the senators questioned the rationale for the change, asked whether Trump personally directed the decision, and requested details about the cost to taxpayers. They said that the Treasury should instead focus on issues such as inflation, housing costs, and other financial pressures facing Americans.
An image of that proposed coin depicts Trump in a suit leaning forward over a table with both hands resting on its edge, his expression unsmiling. The coin is not listed on the U.S. Mint’s product schedule release for 2026.
