The U.S. Treasury Department is exploring the possibility of minting a new one-dollar coin featuring President Donald Trump. This initiative aims to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026. U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach announced the consideration on social media, sharing a draft design of the coin. The proposed coin would display Trump’s face on one side and a depiction of him raising his fist on the other, a gesture he made after surviving a 2024 assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The reverse side of the coin would include the phrase "Fight, Fight, Fight," which Trump shouted during the incident.

A Treasury spokesperson stated, "Despite the radical left’s forced shutdown of our government, the facts are clear: Under the historic leadership of President Donald J. Trump, our nation is entering its 250th anniversary stronger, more prosperous, and better than ever before." The spokesperson added that while a final design has not been selected, the draft reflects the enduring spirit of the country.

The potential minting of the coin is made possible by the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, which allows the Treasury to issue commemorative coins for the semiquincentennial. However, there are legal challenges regarding the depiction of living individuals on U.S. currency. The Thayer Amendment, enacted in 1866, prohibits living persons from appearing on government securities. Additionally, federal law states that only deceased individuals may be featured on U.S. currency and securities.

Garrett Wilson, director of policy analysis at the Tax Foundation, noted that there are provisions preventing living former or current presidents from appearing on coins. He mentioned that Congress could create an exception, as it did in 1926 when President Calvin Coolidge was featured on a half-dollar coin for the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

The Treasury Department has not clarified whether any exceptions would apply to the proposed Trump coin. Critics have raised concerns about the legality of such a coin, emphasizing that the law would require Trump to be deceased for his image to be used. The debate continues as the Treasury prepares to share more information about the coin's design and the legal implications surrounding it.