"Why Put Trump's Face on a Commemorative Coin...Is He Kim Jong Un?" U.S. Democrats Outraged

Commemorative Coin Issuance for America's 250th Anniversary
Democrats Introduce Bill to Ban Living Presidents on Currency

As efforts are underway to issue a commemorative one-dollar coin featuring the face of former U.S. President Donald Trump, the opposition party has introduced a bill to block the move.

A draft design of the United States 250th Independence Anniversary commemorative coin revealed on social networking service (SNS). X

According to The Hill, a U.S. congressional news outlet, on December 9 (local time), Democratic Senators Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada have introduced a bill aimed at preventing the depiction of sitting or living former presidents on U.S. currency. Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut also co-sponsored the bill.

The bill stipulates that "no image resembling a living or currently serving president may be placed on any United States currency." This measure comes as the U.S. Treasury is reportedly moving forward with the issuance of a one-dollar commemorative coin featuring President Trump's face to mark the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding.

According to reports, the draft design for the commemorative coin, which the U.S. Mint may officially unveil as early as this week, features a profile of President Trump superimposed above the word "Liberty" on the front. The reverse side is said to depict the moment last July when President Trump, after being shot during a campaign rally, raised his fist and shouted "Let's fight."

However, Democratic lawmakers have moved to block the "Trump coin" initiative, pointing out that no sitting or living president has ever appeared on U.S. currency in the nation's history.

Senator Merkley strongly criticized President Trump's actions, stating, "Trump's behavior of commemorating himself is the kind of authoritarian act one would expect from a dictator like North Korea's Kim Jong Un, not from an American president." He added, "We must hold him accountable for this blatant misuse of taxpayer money and stop his efforts to dismantle our republic of popular sovereignty and establish a dictatorship."

Senator Cortez Masto also called for swift passage of the bill, saying, "Monarchs have put their own faces on coins, but in America, as has always been the case, there will be no kings."

However, there is speculation that the bill's fate remains uncertain, as John Thune, the Republican Senate Majority Whip, has not scheduled a vote on the measure.