A group of Senate Democrats, led by Oregon U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Nevada U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, has voiced its opposition in a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent over proposed Semiquincentennial dollar coin designs featuring former President Donald Trump. The lawmakers, including Senator Ron Wyden, raised the concern publicly, urging the Treasury Department to adhere to established tradition.
In a letter cited by wyden.senate.gov, the Senators put forth, "American lawmakers throughout history have reaffirmed the time-honored tradition of not circulating U.S. currency with images of currently elected officials." They juxtaposed this practice with that of the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, who long featured the former Queen Elizabeth II, and now King Charles III, but highlighted the distinction inherent in the American ethos. Trump, they contend, should not grace the nation's currency while he is a living, current president – a move they brand as inconsistent with the intent to commemorate 250 years of United States history, and indeed, "un-American."
The U.S. Mint's publication of the draft designs on November 18 stirred this controversy, showcasing three different portrait options of President Trump tailored for the Semiquincentennial $1 Coin. Alarm was raised when the Senators observed, “A portrait of President Trump is the only CCAC proposed design option for the semiquincentennial $1 coin, all but confirming the U.S. Mint intends to mint a circulating coin with a portrait of President Trump while he is in office. Putting an image of President Trump on a circulating coin is not only inconsistent with congressional intent to honor 250 years of United States’ history, but also un-American. We should not depict a living, current president on U.S. currency,” as noted by the same press release.
Joining Senators Merkley and Wyden in their plea are Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). The senators have tied their reputations to the issue, framing their opposition as part of a larger debate over public corruption, lawmakers trading stocks, and the role of dark money in politics. These concerns are central to Senator Merkley’s legislative agenda, which includes bipartisan bills aimed at limiting financial activities by high-level federal officials.
