Trump’s Treasury Secretary Pushes ‘Illegal’ Plan to Put Him on a Coin

In a move critics are calling “dictatorial cosplay,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is pushing plans to mint a $1 commemorative coin featuring Donald Trump’s face—despite federal law that bans living presidents from appearing on U.S. currency.

The draft design, obtained by reporters this week, shows two images of the president. One depicts Trump alongside the words “Fight! Fight! Fight!” in reference to the failed assassination attempt against him earlier this year. The reverse side carries his profile paired with the traditional phrase “In God We Trust.”

If approved, the coin would roll out next summer as part of America’s 250th birthday celebrations—transforming what was meant to be a unifying commemoration into yet another stage for Trump’s cult of personality.

According to the United States Code, coins honoring America’s semiquincentennial cannot feature any living president—or even a deceased president within two years of their death. The rule exists to prevent U.S. leaders from engaging in the kind of self-promotion typically seen in authoritarian regimes.

“This isn’t about patriotism. It’s about power,” said Laurence Tribe, a Harvard constitutional scholar. “The law was written precisely to avoid a sitting president turning our money into propaganda.”

Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, a Democrat on the America250 Commission, was even blunter. “Traditionally, only kings and queens put themselves on currency. So it’s hardly surprising that a president who fancies himself a king would push something like this.”

The coin controversy is just the latest example of Trump using America’s 250th birthday to burnish his own image. Earlier this year, the president appointed himself chair of the America250 task force, then headlined the official kickoff in Iowa with a campaign-style rally. On his 79th birthday, he staged a military parade down Constitution Avenue, complete with tanks, flyovers, and more than 6,000 troops.

Next year’s schedule includes a UFC “fight night” on the South Lawn of the White House, a move critics say cheapens the dignity of the presidency.

“America’s semiquincentennial was supposed to be a bipartisan moment of reflection,” said historian Douglas Brinkley. “Instead, it’s becoming another Trump-branded spectacle.”

The Treasury Department insists the coin is still only a “draft.” A spokesman brushed off concerns, saying, “Despite the radical left’s forced shutdown of our government, the facts are clear: Under the historic leadership of President Donald J. Trump, our nation is stronger, more prosperous, and better than ever before.”

Pressed on whether the design breaks the law, the spokesman dodged. “A final design has not yet been selected… this first draft reflects the enduring spirit of our country and democracy.”

Even the White House appeared caught off guard. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, “Oh, I’m not sure if he’s seen it. But I’m sure he’ll love it.”

For Democrats, the episode highlights a larger danger: Trump’s willingness to bend or even break the rules for his own glorification.

“This is about more than coins,” Coleman said. “It’s about whether our democracy holds, or whether it collapses into the kind of personality cult we’ve seen in other countries.”

As America approaches its 250th year, the battle over whose face belongs on our currency may prove symbolic of a deeper fight—over whether the nation celebrates its history, or one man’s ambition.