The White House has unveiled new images of a limited-edition US passport featuring President Donald Trump's portrait, part of efforts to brand the government with his name and image ahead of America's 250th anniversary.
Patriot passport details
Dubbed the "patriot passport" by the White House, the document was introduced by Trump on Truth Social as "The U.S.A.'s New Passport, which says, 'Welcome, but be good!'". The State Department confirmed the commemorative passport is designed to honor the historic occasion and will be available starting July 6, 2026, at the Washington Passport Agency in Washington DC, while supplies last.
The finished design differs from an earlier version previewed in April. The previous stern headshot of Trump has been replaced with a three-quarter-length portrait by White House photographer Daniel Torok, showing the president leaning over the Resolute desk with balled fists. This photo also appears in the Smithsonian America's Presidents exhibition.
Design elements
Trump's portrait is surrounded by text from the Declaration of Independence, with his signature and "United States of America" below. The facing page depicts the founders signing the Declaration, based on a painting by John Trumbull at the Yale University Art Gallery. The passport includes a "Freedom 250" gold flag on the back cover; earlier versions had Trump's signature in gold without the "250" marking, now changed to a black signature with gold "250".
Democratic criticism
The passport and a related commemorative gold coin featuring Trump's image and the words "FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT"—referencing his response to an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania—have drawn sharp criticism from Democrats. Senators Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts) and Ron Wyden (Oregon) called on the administration to halt the coin project, citing reports that some gold used by the US Mint came from countries with illegal mining. "At the very least, the mint should ensure that a coin intended to honor the nation's 250th anniversary is not made of gold linked to exploitation and criminal activity," the senators said, adding that the coin "is more befitting a monarchy than a democracy."
California Governor Gavin Newsom mocked the passport plan earlier with a mock-up of a gold-hued driver's license featuring his own face.
