The Historical Context

U.S. paper currency has featured two Treasury official signatures since notes were first printed in 1861 — initially the register of the Treasury and the treasurer, and since 1914, the Treasury secretary and the treasurer. In that 165-year history, no sitting president has ever had their name printed on a circulating bill.

The change follows a pattern in Trump’s second term of attaching his name to federal institutions and programs. His name now appears on the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the U.S. Institute of Peace, a federal prescription drug program, and savings account initiatives.

In 2020, during his first term, Trump’s name appeared on COVID-19 stimulus checks — a move that also drew both praise and criticism at the time.