WASHINGTON (TNND) — The Treasury Department is moving forward with a historic change to U.S. paper money: President Donald Trump’s signature will appear on future bills alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s. In a press release, Treasury said the move is meant to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary and marks the first time a sitting president’s signature will appear on U.S. paper currency.

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 05: U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent looks on before an event celebrating 2025 MLS Cup Champions Inter Miami CF in the East Room of the White House on March 05, 2026 in Washington, DC. Inter Miami defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 to win their first MLS Cup championship. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

That part is important because this is not about putting Trump’s portrait on the money. Federal law bars the portrait of a living person from appearing on U.S. currency, but the Treasury is relying on its authority over currency design to change the signatures printed on the notes. Treasury says the bills will now carry the signatures of the Treasury secretary and the president, replacing the longstanding secretary-treasurer pairing. Reuters reported that the change breaks with a tradition that dates back roughly 165 years.

The redesign itself will be carried out by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and Reuters reported the first new $100 bills are expected to be printed in June 2026, with other denominations to follow.

There is already pushback on Capitol Hill, but it faces long odds. Rep. Jimmy Gomez has introduced legislation that would prohibit a sitting president’s signature from appearing on U.S. currency or securities. That would mean changing the law, not just challenging Treasury’s process. But for that effort to actually stop the change, the bill would still need to pass the House and Senate and then either be signed into law or survive a veto.

Politically, the move does not appear especially popular. According to a YouGov survey, 59 percent of U.S. adults disapprove of replacing the U.S. treasurer’s signature with Trump’s on new currency. That includes 48 percent who strongly disapprove and 11 percent who somewhat disapprove. Just 23 percent approve, while 19 percent say they are not sure.

The polling also suggests there is some real confusion about what is already printed on U.S. cash. In a separate YouGov question, 13 percent said they believed the sitting president’s signature is already on new U.S. currency. Fifty-nine percent correctly said it is not, while 28 percent said they were not sure.

And all of this is happening at a moment when cash plays a much smaller role in daily life than it used to. According to the Federal Reserve’s 2025 Diary of Consumer Payment Choice, cash accounted for 14 percent of all consumer payments by number in 2024. So while the practical effect of this change may be limited for many Americans, the symbolic and political fight around it clearly is not.