WASHINGTON, April 28 - The U.S. State Department announced on Tuesday that it will produce a limited run of commemorative passports to mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence in July.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the passports will be released as part of the anniversary celebrations. Pigott emphasized that while the documents will include customized artwork and enhanced imagery, they will retain the security features that underlie the U.S. passport's status as a secure travel document.
"These passports will feature customized artwork and enhanced imagery while maintaining the same security features that make the U.S. passport the most secure documents in the world," Pigott said.
Renderings supplied by the State Department show a portrait of President Donald Trump placed on a page inside the passport, opposite an image depicting the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The statement issued by the department did not explicitly mention that the commemorative passports would include the president's image, but the provided renderings display it.
It remains unclear whether U.S. citizens will be given the option to decline receiving one of the commemorative passports. A State Department official did, however, say there would be no extra fee for obtaining one of the limited-run documents.
The passport plan follows other federal moves that attach the president's likeness or name to official property. The U.S. Mint has announced plans for a commemorative gold coin featuring the president's image to mark the same founding anniversary, and the Treasury Department has stated that paper currency will bear the president's signature - a development the Treasury described as the first time a sitting president has signed U.S. money.
Since returning to office early last year, the administration has also placed the president's name or likeness on a range of federal items and programs. Those actions include naming prominent Washington buildings, a planned class of Navy warships, a visa program for wealthy foreigners, a government-run prescription drug website, and federal savings accounts for children.
Readers should note that the State Department characterized the passports as limited in number and maintained they would keep standard security measures in place. Some procedural details remain open, including whether recipients can opt out of receiving the commemorative document.