'He's tacky': Rep. Dan Goldman slams move to put President Trump's signature on dollar bills

The U.S. Treasury Department last week announced plans to put President Donald Trump's signature on all new U.S. paper currency as a part of the celebration of the nation's 250th Anniversary. The move would be the first for a sitting president, and it would put Trump on the list of sitting leaders who are often associated with autocratic rule. The exact criticism has been shared by many Democrats, including Rep. Dan Goldman, who accused the President of fancying himself as a "king". 

The Treasury says the plan to put Trump's signature on all new paper currency is intended to honor the nation's 250th birthday, and alongside the President, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's signature would also appear on the currency. In a statement, Bessent claimed that "there is no more powerful way to recognize the historic achievements of our great country" than with U.S dollar bills bearing the current President's name. However, the move was met with stark criticism from Democrats and, taking to X, the Congressman from New York called out several moves of the administration, including the "Arc De Trump", renaming of the Kennedy Center, and putting President Trump's likeness on a special coin. He alleged that such moves indicate that "Trump pathetically fancies himself a king," and he claimed that in reality, Trump is "as tacky as he is anti-American." The post came as a reaction to a New York Times article on the Treasury Department's announcement of putting Trump's signature on paper currency. 

The opposition claimed that the current administration's move is disgraceful, especially because Americans are facing rising costs at the grocery store and the gas pumps, due to Trump's policies and the Iran war, PBS reported. The Middle-East conflict, which entered its 32nd day, has caused global crude oil prices to skyrocket, which in turn has made gas, goods, and groceries costly across the country. Rep. Shontel Brown, from Ohio, also took to X to criticize the move, calling it "gross and un-American". Furthermore, Michael Bordo, director of the Center for Monetary and Financial History at Rutgers, said that while the move will come with political pushback, it also means that several years down the line, the bills will become collectors' items. 

The move is the latest in a barrage of attempts to put Trump's name and likeness on American cultural institutions, including the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Kennedy Center performing arts venue, both of which were renamed after the sitting president. Furthermore, a new class of battleships was also named after Trump as a tribute. Separately, the plan of building a 20-foot triumphal arch in Washington, D.C., is facing legal challenges from Democrats who claim it could lead to "unchecked proliferation" of presidential construction projects in the future and undermine other public spaces in the district, according to the Washington Post. In related news, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a bill into law that could rename the Palm Beach International Airport to the 'President Donald J. Trump International Airport'. Once approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, the change is likely to take effect from July 1, after which all official government records and maps will identify the airport with the new name and code "DJT" instead of PBI, CNN reported.