Controversy Over 250-Dollar Bill Featuring Trump’s Face: "Idolizing Him With Taxpayer Money"

[Financial News] Democratic U.S. senators have asked the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of the Treasury, to launch an investigation into efforts to issue a 250-dollar bill featuring a portrait of President Donald Trump. They argue that the government is spending taxpayer money on a project that may be illegal, since current law bars living people from appearing on U.S. currency.
According to Axios on the 24th local time, Senator Elizabeth Warren, the Democratic ranking member of the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and Senator Jeff Merkley, among others, sent a letter to the Treasury watchdog asking it to examine the budget and decision-making process behind the so-called "Trump 250-dollar bill project."
U.S. law states that "only the portraits of deceased individuals may be used on U.S. currency and Treasury securities." As a result, Congress would first need to amend the law before a 250-dollar bill featuring Trump could actually be issued.
Earlier, Republican Representative Joe Wilson introduced a bill to issue a 250-dollar bill featuring Trump’s portrait, but it has made no progress in Congress.
Even so, The Washington Post reported last month that senior Treasury officials repeatedly asked the United States Mint to produce prototypes featuring Trump’s portrait.
In their letter, Democratic lawmakers criticized the effort, saying, "At a time when Americans are struggling with rising prices, the Treasury should focus on solving economic problems, not on a project that appears to be the president’s unlawful personal promotion campaign."
Ron Wyden, Catherine Cortez Masto, and Chuck Schumer also joined the call for an investigation. The lawmakers asked investigators to look into the size of the budget used for the project, whether outside interests were involved, and how its legality was reviewed.
The Treasury, however, says the work is not illegal. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters in May that the department was simply preparing for the possibility that Congress could pass the relevant bill. He added, "I do not think it is inappropriate for the president’s face to appear on a bill."
Public opinion is negative. A recent Economist-YouGov survey found that more than one-quarter of MAGA supporters, Trump’s base, opposed issuing a 250-dollar bill. Among all respondents, 70% said they were against it.
Meanwhile, Trump’s name is already set to appear on the America 250 commemorative coin alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. It will be the first time a sitting president’s name appears on U.S. currency, and the controversy has grown as Trump has recently taken center stage in the country’s 250th anniversary commemorative efforts.

km@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-min Reporter