President Trump unveiled the design for a limited number of commemorative U.S. passports featuring his picture, making him the first living commander in chief whose image graces the travel document.
The special passport includes an image of Mr. Trump leaning forward with the text from the Declaration of Independence behind him. Mr. Trump’s signature appears in bold black below the image.
On the other side is an image of America’s founding fathers with “250” below them.
“The U.S.A’s new passport, which says ’welcome but be good,’” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social, including an image of the document.
Between 25,000 and 30,000 new passports will be available to applicants at the Washington passport office starting shortly before July 4, according to the State Department, which issues passports.
It will be the default document for anyone applying for a passport at the Washington office, but people can still request a standard passport by applying online or outside Washington.
Mr. Trump’s likeness in a U.S. passport will likely outlast his term in office, as passports, an internationally recognized form of identification, are valid for 10 years. The only presidents featured in current U.S. passports are included in a double-page depiction of Mount Rushmore, which shows George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.
Typically, passports include less politically charged images such as the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and scenes of the Great Plains along with U.S. mountains and islands.
“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,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
The addition of Mr. Trump’s picture and signature is the latest measure to apply his name and likeness to public assets. He has added his name to the U.S. Institute of Peace and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, though a federal judge ordered the administration to remove Mr. Trump’s name from the entertainment venue.
In addition, Mr. Trump’s name has been added to savings accounts for children known as “Trump accounts,” and the government’s prescription drug website, TrumpRX, and the Trump Visa card for immigrants. A new fleet of Navy battleships will also be designated as the “Trump Class.”
