An image of US President Donald Trump will soon appear in a limited edition of American passports, officials have said, marking a rare departure from longstanding norms in official travel documents.
The US State Department confirmed on Tuesday that the special passport design is being prepared as part of activities to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence.
According to officials, the commemorative passport will include a stern image of Trump superimposed over the Declaration of July 4, 1776, with his signature printed in gold beneath it. A second version of the limited-edition passport will reportedly feature a historic illustration of the US Founding Fathers.
A State Department spokesman, Tommy Pigott, said the initiative is part of plans to mark the country’s milestone anniversary.
“As the United States celebrates America’s 250th anniversary in July, the State Department is preparing to release a limited number of specially designed US passports to commemorate this historic occasion,” he said.
An unnamed department official said the Trump-themed passports would be available only through in-person appointments in Washington and for a limited period, subject to availability. The passports would reportedly be issued at no additional cost.
The move has drawn attention because there are few precedents globally—particularly in democratic systems—for featuring sitting leaders in national passports. If implemented, Trump would become the first sitting US president to appear in Americans’ travel documents.
It was not immediately clear whether applicants would be able to opt out of the design, although most US passport applications are typically processed through local post offices across the country.