The U.S. State Department has announced that a limited number of specially designed passports featuring President Donald Trump’s image will be released to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

The passports will be available in person in Washington at no additional cost. Trump would be the first sitting U.S. president to appear in Americans’ travel documents.

Why is Trump’s face appearing on US passports?

The State Department said the Trump passport is a commemorative issue tied to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026.

It is limited in number, available only at in-person appointments in Washington for as long as supplies last, and carries no additional fee. A second limited-edition design features a historic painting of the U.S. Founding Fathers.

What do the new Trump passports look like?

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott confirmed the release, describing it as part of the country’s anniversary celebrations.

The department posted a sample on social media showing a stern-looking Trump superimposed over the Declaration of July 4, 1776, with his signature printed in gold underneath. A second version features a historic painting of the U.S. Founding Fathers.

There are few precedents anywhere in the world, let alone in a democracy, for a sitting leader’s image appearing in a passport.

Even North Korea, which plasters images of Kim Jong Un across the country and demands public reverence, does not feature him in its passport, which instead depicts sacred Mount Paektu. Current U.S. passports feature historical scenes such as the Moon landing and landmarks including the Statue of Liberty.

How have Democrats reacted to the Trump passport?

Lawmakers from the Democratic Party criticized Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the initiative. “Secretary Rubio should spend more time convincing his boss to end his war of choice in Iran, and less on wasting American tax dollars indulging Trump’s vanity,” the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Democrats wrote on X. The State Department has historically viewed itself as outside partisan politics.

It was not immediately clear whether passport applicants could decline the Trump design. The majority of Americans seeking passports do so through local post offices, which would not carry the special edition, limiting its reach.

How does the Trump passport fit into his broader pattern of self-promotion?

Since returning to office, Trump has attached his name and image to government institutions in ways that have no modern precedent.

Several government buildings in Washington have displayed banners of the president, while his name has been added to the Kennedy Center for the performing arts and the dismantled U.S. Institute of Peace. Last month, the Treasury Department said Trump’s signature would begin appearing on the dollar bill.

Britain and other Commonwealth countries feature King Charles III on their currency, though he is a head of state without direct involvement in politics.

Charles met Trump on Tuesday during a state visit to Washington. Only around half of Americans hold valid passports, a lower share than in many other Western nations, and people in states that voted for Trump are less likely to travel internationally, according to surveys.