The US Treasury Department said Thursday that newly printed American banknotes will carry President Donald Trump’s signature, marking a striking break with long-standing US currency practice and injecting the sitting president’s personal mark into one of the country’s most recognizable national symbols.
The change will apply to future print runs rather than existing bills already in circulation. Officials presented the move as a symbolic update tied to presidential economic leadership, though it is already drawing scrutiny for blurring the line between national institutions and contemporary politics.
In a statement, the Treasury said the decision reflects “a new chapter in American economic leadership.” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the move “recognizes the leadership role of the president in shaping the nation’s economic direction.”
For generations, US paper currency has carried the signatures of the treasury secretary and the treasurer of the United States, not the president. That design convention has helped preserve the idea that American money represents the state and its institutions rather than the personal imprint of the country’s current leader.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing will oversee the redesign and technical adjustments needed to incorporate President Trump’s signature onto future notes. Treasury officials said the transition will happen gradually as part of normal production cycles, meaning existing bills will remain legal tender and continue circulating.
The move stands out because changes to US currency are usually tied to anti-counterfeiting measures, security upgrades, accessibility features, or occasional design revisions—not to elevating the personal identity of a sitting president.
The Treasury has not yet said when the first bills bearing President Trump’s signature will enter circulation.
