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Trump Becomes First Sitting President Featured in Passport

4/29/2026

24 2 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

President Donald Trump will become the first sitting U.S. president whose portrait appears inside a passport.
The passport’s interior page displays Trump’s portrait over the Declaration of Independence with a gold signature and a gold-laminate flag marked 250.
Between 25,000 and 30,000 copies will be released free of charge before July 4 2026, while applicants may obtain a standard passport online or at other offices.

History

Historical Context

During World I, Congress passed the Wartime Measure Act on May 22 1918, giving the president authority to require passports and centralizing issuance with the State Department. That federal control, first exercised under President Wilson, created a uniform booklet that later accommodated photographs. The 2026 interior portrait of Donald Trump builds on this century-old framework of personalized U.S. travel documents.

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Story summary

President Donald Trump will become the first sitting U.S. president whose portrait appears inside a passport.
The passport’s interior page displays Trump’s portrait over the Declaration of Independence with a gold signature and a gold-laminate flag marked 250.
Between 25,000 and 30,000 copies will be released free of charge before July 4 2026, while applicants may obtain a standard passport online or at other offices.

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