By John Q. Hosedrinker 
As part of America’s 250th birthday celebrations, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has drafted a commemorative $1 coin featuring former President Donald Trump, but this design may be illegal. The coin’s design includes Trump’s face and references to events during his presidency. Federal law prohibits the image of a living former or current president from appearing on commemorative coins. The Treasury Department has stated the design is only a draft and reflects the “enduring spirit of our country,” while a Democratic congresswoman criticized the move, and the White House was unaware of the plans.
Read the original article here
Bessent Unveils Illegal Plan to Put Trump’s Face on U.S. Coins
Let’s dive right in: the idea that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has drafted plans to put Donald Trump’s face on a $1 coin, as part of the upcoming 250th-anniversary celebrations, is, to put it mildly, a head-scratcher. And it’s not just the visual, which seems a bit… much. The real kicker is that the proposal appears to directly violate existing laws about who can and cannot appear on U.S. currency.
According to the statutes, only deceased individuals can be featured on U.S. coins and securities. The law specifies that a living former or current president, or any former president within two years of their death, is strictly off-limits. It seems Bessent’s plan to immortalize the former president on a commemorative coin is a non-starter. And let’s not forget, Trump’s not a fan of having to sign off on it.
The proposed design itself seems, shall we say, dramatic. One side of the coin is supposed to feature a depiction of a failed assassination attempt against Trump, complete with the iconic “Fight! Fight! Fight!” chant. The other side would show a profile of his face alongside the words “In God We Trust.” It’s like something out of a movie, and not necessarily a good one.
The response from the Treasury, well, it’s telling. A spokesperson’s statement to the Daily Beast, while admitting the design is only a draft, suggests it’s an “appropriate” design given the current political climate. They go on to tout Trump’s “historic leadership” and the country’s “enduring spirit.” It’s hard not to see this as a political statement, rather than a celebration of American history.
Of course, the fact that Trump is already the chair of the festivities, and that the kickoff celebration was basically a campaign-style rally, doesn’t exactly scream “bipartisan.” Putting his face on a coin, if it were legal, would simply be another example of self-aggrandizement and an attempt to consolidate his image in the public eye.
This move mirrors practices of past regimes, and the fact that Democrats and others would be up in arms if President Biden had pulled a stunt like this goes without saying. It’s not just about the potential illegality; it’s about the optics and the precedent it would set. The entire thing just feels like a step too far, an effort to solidify his legacy, even if it means breaking the rules.
The idea of commemorative coins is, of course, nothing new. Presidents have been on them before, but always after they’ve shuffled off this mortal coil. This attempt feels distinctly different, like a premature attempt to cement a legacy while the ink is still drying.
The fact that the White House press secretary didn’t seem aware of the coin plan is, in its own way, a little bit bizarre. It’s almost as if the whole thing was hatched in a back room somewhere, away from the usual channels.
The prospect of this happening is likely to spark outrage and ridicule, and would probably lead to a slew of defaced coins and satirical commentary. It just feeds into the narrative of a personality cult. The thought of it is pretty embarrassing.
The whole situation is a reminder of just how far some people will go to indulge their hero worship. It also makes you wonder what other potentially illegal or unethical ideas are being floated behind closed doors.
It’s worth remembering that this isn’t just about a coin. It’s about the bigger picture: the erosion of norms, the disregard for tradition, and the lengths to which some people will go to get what they want.