Donald Trump’s picture will soon appear in some U.S. passports, it was confirmed Tuesday, shattering another norm as the president aggressively puts himself personally on government institutions.
Limited Edition Passports for 250th Anniversary
The State Department confirmed that it would offer a limited-edition passport to mark this year’s 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. A Fox News article, reposted by a State Department spokesman, showed an image of Trump on the passport imposed over the Declaration of Independence, with his signature underneath. It separately showed a picture of U.S. Founding Fathers.
“As the United States celebrates America’s 250th anniversary in July, the State Department is preparing to release a limited number of specially designed U.S. passports to commemorate this historic occasion,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said. Another State Department official said there would be no extra charge for the passport.
Unprecedented Move for a Democracy
There are few modern precedents anywhere in the world, let alone in a democracy, of sitting leaders’ pictures appearing in passports, with most countries preferring to depict historical imagery or nature. Current U.S. passports depict multiple scenes from the country’s history such as the Moon landing along with historic sites such as the Statue of Liberty.
Trump since returning to office last year has slapped himself on government institutions in an unprecedented way, with several government buildings in Washington putting up banners of him and Trump imposing his name on the Kennedy Center performing arts center and the dismantled U.S. Institute of Peace. Last month the Treasury Department said Trump’s signature would start appearing on the dollar, in another first.
Comparisons to Other Countries
Britain and other Commonwealth countries feature on their currency the likeness of King Charles III, who is a head of state without direct involvement in politics. The king was meeting Trump on Tuesday during a state visit to Washington. The Fox News article said that the Trump-themed passports would only be issued in Washington and that they would run out when there is no further availability. It was not immediately clear if an American could refuse the Trump-themed passport.
