If in recent days you saw images circulating of a $250 dollar bill with Donald Trump's face, it is not a creation made by artificial intelligence. Although the design is not yet official and there is no new approved bill, there is a real proposal within the US government that seeks to place the president in a new commemorative denomination.

The controversy began after the Secretary of the United States Department of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, confirmed that scenarios are being analyzed to produce a possible $250 dollar bill with the image of the current president.

However, the project still faces a major hurdle: Federal law currently prohibits living people from appearing on U.S. money.

“Currently, on US dollar bills, no living person can appear on them, and they must bear the inscription ‘In God We Trust,'” explained US Treasury Secretary Bessent. “That's why, right now, there is a bill pending in the House of Representatives and the Senate to modify the first requirement and allow a living person, Donald J. Trump, to appear on the $250 bill.”

The official also made it clear that the Treasury Department is already working on technical forecasts in case Congress approves the legislation.

"So we have prepared in advance in case the legislation is passed. But we will stick to the law," Bessent added.

The initiative was presented by Republican Representative Joe Wilson, of South Carolina, through the project called “Donald J. Trump $250 Bill Act.” The proposal seeks to amend the Federal Reserve Act to mandate that the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) produce $250 bills with Trump's portrait.

So far, the legislation remains stalled in the House Financial Services Committee since February 2025 and has yet to be put to a vote.

What would Trump's ticket be like?

The images that began to circulate show different preliminary versions of the design. One of them appeared in a statement from Congressman Wilson and was created with artificial intelligence. That model features a color portrait of Donald Trump placed on the left side of the bill.

Another mockup was revealed by The Washington Post and, according to the report, would have been shared internally with staff at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. In that version, the bill maintains the traditional green color of US dollars and places Trump's face in the center.

However, the Treasury Department clarified that none of these images represent an approved official design. An official from the agency told CBS News that “any design or model that is circulating is not real.”

The same source confirmed that the Bureau of Engraving and Printing is already carrying out preliminary work and technical analysis related to the legislative proposal.

“The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is taking proactive steps to produce a commemorative $250 bill that will appropriately recognize the 250th anniversary of our great nation,” the Treasury Department official said.

The plan is part of the United States anniversary celebrations

The possible bill would be part of a series of commemorative products promoted towards the $250 anniversary of the independence of the United States, a celebration that will take place on July 4, 2026.

In recent months, the U.S. government also announced new special nickels, dimes, quarters, and fifty-cent coins. Additionally, the Treasury Department previously confirmed that future bills will include Trump's signature.

According to the Associated Press, officials close to the president pushed to speed up the design of the new bill and there were even internal movements within the Bureau of Engraving and Printing related to the project.

For now, everything depends on Congress passing a legal exception that allows a living person to be shown on US money. Until that happens, the supposed $250 dollar bill with the image of Donald Trump will remain only a proposal and not a new official currency in circulation.

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