Story perspectives

Rubio Unveils 2028 U.S. Passport Design With Trump Portrait

By Drooid · Oct 1, 2026, 11:12 PM UTC · How we work

Left

Nationalist Design Critique

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a passport design showing President Donald Trump’s portrait and a gold Great Seal, slated for early 2028 rollout.
Critics argue the redesign emphasizes nationalist symbols and upscale packaging, neglecting security improvements and burdening cost-constrained travelers.
The passport’s interior pages feature an animated eagle illustration that appears to fly when flipped.
Experts said the redesign adds no new security features.

Right

Passport Data Safeguard

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a passport design featuring President Donald Trump’s portrait and a gold Great Seal, slated for 2028 rollout.
Officials frame the passport-data sharing proposal as a safeguard against voter fraud and to verify citizenship.
The department will assess state and local officials’ passport-record access before the November 2026 midterms.
A filing says the plan will flag non-citizens, citing a 6-3 Supreme Court ruling.

Blindspot

The State Department is assessing a plan to grant state and local officials access to passport records to verify voter citizenship before the November 2026 midterm elections, a proposal outlined by officials and a Justice Department court filing.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Right-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Left-leaning coverage.

1 of 3

Nationalist Design Critique

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a passport design showing President Donald Trump’s portrait and a gold Great Seal, slated for early 2028 rollout.
Critics argue the redesign emphasizes nationalist symbols and upscale packaging, neglecting security improvements and burdening cost-constrained travelers.
The passport’s interior pages feature an animated eagle illustration that appears to fly when flipped.
Experts said the redesign adds no new security features.

1 / 3