Story perspectives

State Dept Issues First Passport Featuring Sitting President Trump

4/29/2026

Summary

Story summary

The State Department will issue a U.S. passport this summer that places President Donald Trump’s portrait on the inside cover, the first to feature a sitting president.
The cover will show Trump’s gold signature over the Declaration of Independence, with 25,000-30,000 copies sold in Washington, D.C., before July 4.
Georgetown University professor Edward Kolla called the decision wacky, noting that no modern U.S. passport has featured a sitting president.

History

Historical Context

In 1911 King George V’s likeness began appearing on British definitive stamps, a practice that extended to other official paper such as passports during the early 20th century. The U.S. State Department’s 2024 decision to overlay former President Donald Trump’s gold-ink signature on the passport’s declaration page echoes that earlier move to personalize travel documents with a sitting leader’s image.

1 of 2

Story summary

The State Department will issue a U.S. passport this summer that places President Donald Trump’s portrait on the inside cover, the first to feature a sitting president.
The cover will show Trump’s gold signature over the Declaration of Independence, with 25,000-30,000 copies sold in Washington, D.C., before July 4.
Georgetown University professor Edward Kolla called the decision wacky, noting that no modern U.S. passport has featured a sitting president.

1 / 2