Donald Trump has sold some tat in his time, from cringey NFTs to a 'golden' mobile phone that looked like something you might find going for a few dollars on Temu. So when he posted on social media about a new US passport design on Friday, it was initially hard to tell whether he was referring to an official state document or another hustle.
Containing an image of Trump with his fists on the Resolute Desk and now dubbed the Patriot Passport, it looked and sounded like another novelty, supposedly collectible Trump-branded trinket with no legal standing. But the White House confirmed on X shortly afterwards that it will be a real valid passport, with a design that appears to have no precedent anywhere.
PATRIOT PASSPORT. pic.twitter.com/RYvLKloC7dJune 26, 2026
According to the state department, the Patriot Passport is a limited-edition US passport design intended to commemorate America's 250th birthday. Trump and his signature appear on a page with the Declaration of Independence in the background. The opposite page shows the United States' founders signing said declaration, apparently based on a painting by John Trumbull.
The design will also feature a “Freedom 250” gold flag on the back cover. Writing on Truth Social, Trump also claimed the passport would carry the legend 'Welcome, but be good!," although that isn't visible on the pages released so far, and it's not clear who the message would be addressed to since passports tend to be issued to US citizens rather visiting tourists or temporary migrants.
Only limited numbers of the design will be produced, and they will only be issued to people who apply in person for a new passport or renewal at the passport agency in Washington DC. We're told there'll be a limited number of special acceptance events. Prices will be the same as a standard US passports, but it's not clear whether people who apply via the agency in Washington will be able to choose which design they receive.
Current US passports depict symbolic landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and historic moments like the 1969 moon landing. This will be the first time a current president has been featured in the design.
In fact, I've not been able to find a single example of any sitting or former head of state being pictured in a nation’s passport artwork while still alive. In that sense Trump has the dubious honour of outdoing dictators such as Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi and Saparmurat Niyazov, who put their own faces on banknotes, coins, and billboards but not passports.
In August last year, Donald Trump signed an executive order to launch an initiative called 'America by Design' spearheaded by a new National Design Studio. While the project's aim is one of "improving our nation by design”, it raised concerns that Trump would reshape governmental branding in his own image. That appears to be happening.
Several contentious architectural projects are still being pushed, from a new White House ballroom to triumphal arch, currently on display as a sad-looking plywood model on the National Mall for the Great American State Fair. He also tried to put his name on the John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.
Passport design doesn't have to be boring. Just take an ogle at the Canadian passport and Norwegian passport. It can also be politically and emotionally charged – the UK paid a fortune to leave the EU out of a nostalgia for blue passports.
But blurring the line between personal grift makes institutional branding look frivolous and short sighted. Elected leaders generally serve for less time than a passport. Trump's second presidency will end in January 2029. The new Patriot Passports will be causing smirks among immigration officers until 2036.
