Trump's signature to be on U.S. dollar bills, a first for a sitting president

U.S. paper currency will bear President Donald Trump's signature starting this summer, the first time a sitting president has signed American money, the Treasury Department said on Thursday. The change comes as the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary. 

The first bills featuring Trump’s signature alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s are expected to be printed in June, starting with $100 notes, with other denominations to follow.

Treasury officials said the move was appropriate to mark the Semiquincentennial, highlighting what they describe as strong economic growth and stability during Trump’s second term.

Bessent stated that “There is no more powerful way to recognise the historic achievements of our great country and President Donald J. Trump than U.S. dollar bills bearing his name.”

This announcement is part of a wider effort by the Trump administration and its allies to leave the president’s mark across federal institutions. Earlier this month, a federal arts panel approved a commemorative gold coin featuring Trump, and plans for a $1 coin are under review, though U.S. law prohibits depicting living presidents on circulating coins.

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Treasury officials emphasised that aside from the signature, the design of U.S. banknotes will remain unchanged, including key elements such as the portrait of Benjamin Franklin on the $100 bill and the words “In God We Trust.”

Tradition of including U.S. treasurer's signature to end

The move will also end a 165-year tradition of including the signature of the U.S. treasurer on banknotes. 

The signature of former Treasurer Lynn Malerba will no longer be used, making her the last in a long line of treasurers who have appeared on U.S. federal currency since 1861, when the government first issued it.

Bills with signatures of former Treasury officials, including Janet Yellen and Malerba, are still being produced and will continue to circulate for some weeks.

Support for the signature change has come from former treasurers and current officials alike. 

Malerba declined to comment on the Trump administration's move.

Her predecessor, Jovita Carranza, who served in Trump’s first term, called it “a powerful symbol of American resilience, the enduring strength of free enterprise and the promise of continued greatness.”

The current treasurer, Brandon Beach, whose name has not appeared on the currency, also issued a supportive statement, saying Trump was the architect of a "golden age economic revival."

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