A senior official from the U.S. State Department confirmed Tuesday that the federal government will begin issuing specially designed American passports bearing a portrait of former President Donald Trump on their inner pages this summer, marking the highest-profile addition of the 45th president’s likeness to a series of official commemorations marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.
The specially modified documents will automatically be issued to any applicant who renews their passport in person at the Washington Passport Agency, once the new design is available to the agency. All other passport application channels, including online submissions and in-person renewals at other agency locations across the country, will continue to use the existing standard passport design, the official clarified.
Based on published design mockups first shared by Fox News, Trump’s portrait and a gold-printed copy of his signature will appear on the inside cover of the new commemorative passport. The back cover of the document will feature John Trumbull’s iconic painting depicting the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a choice that ties the design directly to the nation’s founding anniversary. By comparison, the current standard U.S. passport displays Percy Moran’s artwork of Francis Scott Key at Fort McHenry, paired with lyrics from the national anthem Key wrote, on its inside front cover.
In an official statement Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott framed the new passport as a fitting tribute to the national milestone. “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. These passports will feature customized artwork and enhanced imagery while maintaining the same security features that make the U.S. Passport the most secure documents in the world,” Pigott said.
What sets the Trump-themed passport apart from other semiquincentennial commemorative items is the widespread, long-term use of passports as official identity documents. Unlike limited-run commemorative coins or seasonal national park passes, a U.S. passport is a globally recognized identity credential with a 10-year validity period, meaning the design could be seen by border officials and other entities around the world for decades to come.
This announcement is the latest in a string of official commemorations for the 250th anniversary that have included Trump’s image. Last year, the U.S. Department of the Interior, which manages the national park system, rolled out new 250th anniversary designs for its America the Beautiful national park passes, one of which places Trump alongside George Washington, the nation’s first president. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum called the new pass “an honor to showcase” the anniversary and the legacy of land conservation in a public statement announcing the change.
Just last month, the Commission of Fine Arts, an advisory body filled with appointees hand-selected by Trump, gave formal approval to a 250th anniversary commemorative coin that will also bear the former president’s portrait. In the past year, Trump’s name has also been added to official signage at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the U.S. Institute of Peace, adding to the series of changes to federal official landmarks and items under the current administration.
The State Department has not yet confirmed how many of the special Trump-designed passports will be issued, with the rollout set to begin sometime this summer. The story was first broken by online news outlet The Bulwark, with Fox News becoming the first outlet to publish the leaked design mockup of the new document.