Republican Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska has criticized the State Department's plan to feature President Donald Trump's likeness on a limited run of U.S. passports, calling the move "a little silly" and comparing it to practices in authoritarian regimes.
In an interview with CNN, Bacon said, "We laughed at Russia when they had pictures of Lenin and Stalin everywhere" during the Soviet era. He added, "Go to China, they had pictures of Mao everywhere. You go to North Korea, pictures of Kim Jong Un."
"We're America, and I think we do less of that," Bacon continued, describing the design as an "overreach" by Trump's "subordinates" trying to "cater to his attention."
Passport Design Details
The special edition passports, commemorating America's 250th birthday, will feature Trump's face and gilded signature on the inside cover. Only 250,000 of these travel documents will be printed, available exclusively through in-person renewals at the Washington, D.C., passport agency, according to The Bulwark, which first reported the redesign.
The State Department stated that the special edition includes the "same security features that make the U.S. Passport the most secure [document] in the world."
White House Response
White House spokesperson Olivia Wales defended the design, calling it a "new patriotic passport design" and "a great way Americans can join in the spectacular celebrations for America's 250th birthday" in a comment to The Hill.
Trump's Second Term Imprints
Trump has been eager to leave his mark during his second term. Beyond the passport, his administration has added his name to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and installed banners bearing his image outside the Departments of Labor, Justice, and Agriculture.
In October, the Treasury Department also unveiled a design for a new commemorative $1 coin featuring an etching of Trump raising his fist after a 2024 assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally.
