On America's 250th Anniversary, Treasury Plans an Illegal Trump Coin to Glorify Him Like a King

Oct 03, 2025

One of the signs that heralded the end of the Roman Republic and the assertion of unlimited power by an emperor was the depiction of a living leader on Roman coins, elevating that leader to a status previously held only by gods and mythological figures. So it’s no surprise this is the next step of Donald Trump’s attempt to appoint himself emperor.

CNN reports:

A portrait of President Donald Trump may be featured on a commemorative $1 coin issued by the United States Mint in honor of America’s 250th birthday in 2026, according to first drafts of the images confirmed by the U.S. Treasury. …
The draft images show Trump’s side profile on the front with “Liberty” at the top, “In God we Trust” on the bottom and the dates 1776 and 2026. On the reverse is the famous image of Trump raising his fist after the Bulter, Pennsylvania, assassination attempt, with the words “FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT” at the top and an American flag billowing behind his head.
It’s not clear the controversial coin design will be minted: It’s against US law to display the image of a sitting president or living former president. A president may be featured on a coin no sooner than two years following the president’s death.
“No coin issued under this subsection may bear the image of a living former or current President, or of any deceased former President during the 2-year period following the date of the death of that President,” according to the US code governing coin design.

It is a sign of the times that CNN says “it’s not clear” whether the administration will do this—immediately before quoting a law that unambiguously declares it illegal. So it’s perfectly clear that this violates the law, and the only thing that is “unclear” is whether the administration will openly and brazenly throw out the law.

The Executive Watch is a project of the Institute for the Study of Modern Authoritarianism, and its flagship publication The UnPopulist, to track in an ongoing way the abuses of the power of the American presidency. It sorts these abuses into five categories: Personal Grift, Political Corruption, Presidential Retribution, Power Consolidation, and Policy Illegality. Click the category of interest to get an overview of all the abuses under it.

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