A group of Democratic senators pressured Secretary of State Marco Rubio to stop plans to issue a special edition of the passport with the image of President Donald Trump, a proposal promoted on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the country's independence.

The offensive was led by Senator Jeff Merkley, who along with other legislators described the initiative as an “unheard of” measure and warned that it could turn a national symbol into a political promotional tool.

In the letter sent to the State Department, the senators stated that the US passport “has never included, nor should it now include, the image of a sitting president.” The document was also signed by Chris Van Hollen, Jacky Rosen, Tim Kaine and Angus King.

The controversy arose after the State Department announced in April, through social networks, the launch of a limited edition of 25,000 commemorative passports. The preliminary design showed Trump's portrait superimposed on the Declaration of Independence and accompanied by patriotic elements such as the United States flag.

Democrats question spending and symbolism

Lawmakers demanded detailed explanations about the production cost of the new document, the design selection process and the reasons for specifically including the Republican president's image.

They also asked to know if citizens would have the option to reject the commemorative passport and receive a traditional design.

“Using our nation's 250th anniversary to highlight the figure of the current president runs the risk of transforming a national celebration into a vehicle for self-promotion,” the senators wrote in the letter addressed to Rubio.

Democrats argue that the proposal could politicize one of the most important documents for Americans, in addition to generating unnecessary costs for taxpayers.

The initiative is part of a series of projects promoted during Trump's second term to incorporate his image or name into symbols and public institutions in the country.

Currently, the president's image already appears on the annual “America the Beautiful” pass of the national parks for 2026 and on a commemorative gold coin related to the nation's anniversary.

Proposals to immortalize Trump grow

The president's Republican allies have also promoted proposals to put Trump's face on a special one-dollar coin and to include his signature on US bills, something that is unprecedented for a sitting president.

In addition, conservative congressmen have presented bills to add Trump's image to the Mount Rushmore monument, rename Washington Dulles International Airport in his honor and declare his birthday a national holiday.

Other plans promoted by the Republican environment also include the construction of a “triumphant arch” near Arlington National Cemetery and a monumental garden of statues of “American heroes” near the National Mall in Washington.

Faced with these initiatives, Democrats have tried to block several proposals. Last December, Merkley and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto presented a bill to prevent the minting of coins with Trump's image. Months later, the senator again promoted another measure to stop the distribution of national park passes with the president's photograph.

So far, the State Department has not publicly responded to the criticism or clarified whether it will continue with the limited issuance of the commemorative passports.