President Donald Trump is pushing to have his image placed on a new $250 bill — a denomination that doesn’t currently exist in U.S. currency.
NPR’s Sacha Pfeiffer spoke Thursday, May 29, 2026, with financial historian Brendan Greeley about the proposal. No legislation or executive order has been publicly detailed, and Greeley’s comments were framed as analysis of what such a move would require — not a confirmation that it’s imminent.
Background
U.S. paper currency is issued by the Federal Reserve, and denominations are set by Congress. The highest bill currently in circulation is the $100 note. Getting a new denomination printed would require either an act of Congress or a significant shift in Treasury and Federal Reserve policy — neither of which has been announced.
Putting a living person’s face on currency would also break with long-standing American practice. Federal law, specifically 31 U.S.C. § 5114, prohibits portraits of living persons on U.S. coins and currency. Changing that would require Congress to act.
Trump isn’t the first president to float ideas about reshaping the look of American money. Andrew Jackson — currently on the $20 bill — has faced repeated calls for removal in favor of Harriet Tubman, a process that stalled under the first Trump administration.
Greeley, described by NPR as a financial historian, didn’t weigh in on whether the proposal was feasible. The conversation focused on the history and mechanics of how currency decisions get made in the United States.
The White House hasn’t released a formal proposal, and Congress hasn’t scheduled any hearing on the matter, according to NPR’s report.
Reported by NPR. Read the original report.
