President Donald Trump, Republicans in Congress, his hand-picked appointees, and all manner of other allies have been doing their best to put Trump’s name, image and likeness all over the place.
Using taxpayer dollars, these efforts differ from Trump’s lifelong effort to put his name on privately owned buildings. They’re controversial in part because Trump is divisive and not currently very popular; his approval rating has recently been stuck in the 30s.
More importantly, the US more traditionally memorializes the dead with such honors. Placing the image of a sitting president on buildings and in such public government displays is often associated with kingdoms or authoritarian regimes.
Democrats, bristling at the Trump stamps, have introduced legislation to ban his name from being added to federal buildings or coins, but those efforts are likely to be stuck in Congress. So will GOP efforts to officially name more things after the president.
Some things have not yet been designated to carry his name, but if his planned addition of a massive ballroom to the White House gets built, one can imagine Trump will always view it as the Trump Wing of the White House. Same goes for the triumphal arch Trump wants to put adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery.
The 250th anniversary of US independence is doing a lot of the heavy lifting in the Trump memorialization efforts. The term for 250th anniversary is “semiquincentennial,” FYI.
Here’s a partial list of what’s being done (or attempted) to officially stamp the country on Trump’s behalf.
Passports
Official travel documents meant to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary will feature Trump’s image on top of the Declaration of Independence and opposite an image of the Founding Fathers. It is unclear how many will be issued, but the Trump document will apparently be the “default passport out of the Washington Passport office when available,” according to a State Department official.
Dollar bills
Trump’s signature will appear on US paper currency, a first for a living president. Usually it is the Treasury secretary’s signature printed on money. But Trump’s will be used, again to commemorate the 250th anniversary.
A gold coin
The president’s hand-picked Commission of Fine Arts is putting his likeness on a gold coin, also commemorating the 250th anniversary. Heads: Trump, looking serious, his fists on the Resolute Desk. Tails: An eagle in flight. Commission members wanted the coin to be as big as possible – two inches in diameter or larger.
There are efforts by Republicans to put Trump’s likeness on the $100 bill and a proposed $250 bill but those are complicated by a law that prohibits using the likeness of a living person on paper bills.
$1 coins
Separate from the commemorative gold coins, the Treasury Department is trying to put Trump’s image on a special $1 coin, also for the semiquincentennial, despite the fact that the law seeks to prohibit images of presidents on coins until they had been dead two years.
‘Gold card’ visa
It’s been described by Trump as “a green card on steroids.” The Commerce Department sought to sell expedited access to US residency for $1 million per person in the hopes of bringing in $1 trillion from 200,000 people, according to an estimate from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick early in Trump’s second term. Beyond Lutnick’s fuzzy math, only one person had qualified as of April, but more could buy the gold card in the future.
Fighter jets
It’s a less direct homage, but a new sixth-generation fighter jet being developed for the Pentagon by Boeing will be called the F-47, Trump announced in 2025. It’s an apparent reference to him being the 47th president during his second term.
Battleships
Last December, Trump announced a new class of battleships would be the “Trump class” of battleships. It’s not clear whether that means a physical ship, which is years away from production, would ultimately carry his name. The New York Times reported it was Trump’s frustration with the timeline for producing the new class of battleships that led to the ouster of his Navy secretary in April.
Prescription drugs website
Trump has tried to make good on promises to lower the price of prescription drugs by offering a government-run website that will act as a sort of clearinghouse to connect patients with drugmakers. It’s not yet clear whether the site will lead to reduced drug prices, but it is called TrumpRx.
Investment accounts for kids
The federal government will put $1,000 into special investment accounts for newborns as a result of the tax spending bill Republicans enacted into law in 2025. Unlike some other things named after Trump, Trump accounts are in US law. FAQ to see if your child qualifies.
National park passes
Annual passes to US national parks will celebrate the semiquincentennial and replace images of some parks with Trump, angering some parkgoers. An environmental group sued to stop the change.
The Kennedy Center
Trump’s name has not been added to the Kennedy Center in US law, which recognizes the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as a memorial to the slain president. But that didn’t stop the Trump administration from adding Trump’s name before Kennedy’s on the building’s wall. A subsequent administration could have the words removed. Trump has packed the Kennedy Center’s board with supporters. The arts center is closing for two years for renovations. Many artists refused to perform there under the current leadership.
The US Institute of Peace
There is also no legislation to rename the US Institute for Peace, an organization gutted early in Trump’s second term. But the administration changed the name anyway, putting Donald J. Trump over United States Institute for Peace on the DC building that is home to the organization. Trump said he deserved the distinction because he claimed he had negotiated the end to multiple international conflicts, although that was before he went to war with Iran. Congress may ultimately need to agree to the name change.
Banners on federal buildings
Trump’s image has been plastered on large banners on federal buildings around Washington, including, at times, the departments of labor and agriculture. Most controversially, a banner was unfurled at the Department of Justice. These banners remind some critics of propaganda in fascist or communist regimes, which honor strongman leaders while they’re in power.
Palm Beach International Airport
Florida’s Legislature and governor have approved changing the name of the airport nearest Trump’s Mar-a-Lago golf club to the President Donald J. Trump International Airport. The Department of Transportation plans to change the airport’s three-letter designation from PBI to DJT.
Gold statue at his golf course
While the use of taxpayer dollars rankles Trump’s critics, his supporters are also willing to put their own money in to honor the president. For instance, a cryptocurrency outfit commissioned a gold statue that was recently unveiled at Doral, his Florida golf club.
Statues with Epstein
While critics see shades of autocracy and hagiography in the veneration of Trump with taxpayer dollars, it’s important to note that free speech – and criticism – are protected in the US. The National Park Service permitted multiple temporary statues of Trump and the convicted late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in forms of embrace. They were known associates decades ago, but Trump hasn’t been accused of any criminal wrongdoing related to Epstein and said he had a falling out with Epstein in the early 2000s.
Where Trump’s name won’t go
Other things Trump wants named after him don’t appear to be happening. The administration offered to unfreeze billions of dollars earmarked for a massive New York area infrastructure project if Democrats agreed to rename Penn Station in New York City and Dulles Airport in Virginia after him. They refused. A federal judge in February ordered the money released.
