Michael Levin hits out at Trump administration over 'vanity' passport plan

Michael Levin, the U.S. representative for California's 49th congressional district, took a dig at the Trump administration, making it clear that he will not be among those lining up for the limited-edition U.S. passport featuring a picture of President Donald Trump, who will become the first living president to be featured on the document.

Levin, a Democrat serving his fourth term, condemned the move as the President's "vanity project." He posted that Trump's gold signature will be "superimposed on the Declaration of Independence, a document written to get away from this exact behavior." Levin was referring to America's war of independence to break from the British monarchy in 1776.  

"No sitting president has ever done this. Coins, park passes, battleships, and now your passport. The man cannot find a surface he will not slap his name or face on. This is not patriotism. It is vanity," he posted on X.

The State Department announced its decision to issue commemorative passports on the eve of America's 250th birthday. The plan for the special passport, along with a photo of Trump's austere face, was in the works for months before finally getting the approval on Monday, according to the Associated Press (AP). 

A total of 25,000-30,000 new passports will be issued to applicants at the Washington, D.C., passport office around July 4 this year, AP reported. Levin was not the only Democrat with thoughts on the move. Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, came up with a satirical post of his own on X in which he lampooned the President's decision. He posted that California will be rolling out a special driver's license on its 175th anniversary, featuring a "handsome, high-quality photo" of Newsom himself.

Malcolm Kenyatta, vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, quipped that Americans are suffering from high grocery and food prices, and the President is busy solving these problems by plastering his face on passports.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand echoed the sentiment and proposed a new bill, the HUMBLE Presidents Act, which would stop the President from "advertising his own personal brand."  "Our leaders should focus on the issues that matter to American families," she posted on X.

This is not the first time that the federal government has moved to put Trump's face on a government document. The administration decided to replace images of the picturesque parks on some annual passes with an image of Trump's face in December last year. An environmental group, the Center for Biological Diversity, sued the administration to prevent the change from taking effect. A verdict is yet to be delivered.