State Department reveals limited edition US passports with President Trump's pic, invites backlash

The State Department is preparing to launch a limited-edition U.S. passport featuring President Donald Trump's portrait. The passport, meant to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, has, however, sparked strong political and public criticism.

The White House revealed the commemorative passport on X, with the caption, "Patriot passport unlocked." The new passports will replace the tradition of portraying historically significant moments in American history, like the moon landing, with President Trump's picture, along with his signature on top of the Declaration of Independence. This is the first time a sitting President's image will appear on an official U.S. passport. 

The State Department plans to issue 25,000 to 30,000 copies of the "America250" edition starting in July 2026. Spokesperson Tommy Pigott told TIME that the passports will feature custom artwork and improved images but maintain the same security standards as regular passports. However, The Washington Post noted in a report that, unlike the current design with landmarks like Mount Rushmore and the Secretary of State's signature, this new version breaks the tradition of using non-partisan national symbols.

A growing pattern of Trump portraits

The passport redesign is part of a broader, controversial effort to integrate the President's likeness into national institutions and public spaces, as per a report by The Guardian. Large banners featuring the President's face hang from several federal buildings in the capital, including a massive display at the Department of Justice headquarters. Similarly, at the Department of Agriculture, the President's image appears alongside Abraham Lincoln beneath the slogan "Growing America Since 1862."

This branding extends to the country's natural and financial symbols as well. The 2026 national parks pass features the faces of both Trump and George Washington under the words "America the Beautiful." Furthermore, the U.S. Mint has moved forward with draft designs for a $1 coin bearing the President's likeness, and the Commission of Fine Arts recently approved a 24-karat gold commemorative coin featuring Trump leaning over the Resolute Desk.

'This is not patriotism. It is vanity,' say Democrats

Democratic lawmakers and other Trump critics quickly condemned the decision, saying it politicizes a document meant to represent all Americans. "You have got to be kidding me…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," Representative Mike Levin said on X. "This is not patriotism. It is vanity."

Senator Chris Van Hollen called it a "scary day in America when an actual king behaves more democratically than the President of the United States." The Democratic House Foreign Affairs Committee called the development a distraction. In a post on X, the Committee wrote, "The irony: many Americans can't even afford to travel right now. Airfares are up, gas is up and families are paying the price for a failed war of choice. Plastering Trump's face on American passports is a distraction."

Even some Republican supporters and lawmakers have questioned the State Department's move. GOP Rep. Don Bacon called the move "a little silly," likening it to policies under authoritarian leaders. "We laughed at Russia when they had pictures of Lenin and Stalin everywhere. China had pictures of Mao everywhere. North Korea has Kim Jong Un. We're America and I think we do less of that," Bacon told CNN, adding, "I think there's been a little bit of overreach by some of the subordinates of the President who are trying to cater for his attention. It's not really America to do this."