Fact Check: Was a Treasury official fired for opposing $250 bill featuring Trump's face?

WASHINGTON, DC: Amid the controversies surrounding plans to feature President Donald Trump’s face on the $250 bill, a rumor has been circulating on social media claiming that an official at the Treasury was fired for opposing the bill, sparking criticism and concerns from netizens. Let us analyze the rumors and fact-check their authenticity.

Claim: Treasury official fired for opposing Donald Trump's $250 bill

The rumor was sparked by a Washington Post report stating that Treasury management abruptly reassigned the Director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Patty Solimene, after she told them the bureau was not authorized to proceed with the bill's production, according to unnamed employees. 

Following this, social media users shared the news across X, Facebook, and Reddit, with many claiming that Solimene was forced out of her job and "reassigned" for refusing to move forward with the proposal to put Trump's face on a new $250 bill. 

One user wrote on Facebook, “Trump officials at the Treasury tried to put his face on a brand-new $250 bill — and when the career expert in charge said no, they shoved her out of the job...After resisting the pressure, she says she was suddenly and ‘involuntarily' reassigned out of her role.”

Fact Check: Unconfirmed. It is unclear why Patty Solimene left her role

Solimene no longer works as the bureau's director and has not confirmed why she left the position, reportedly in April.

Since the Post’s reporting was based on the testimony of four unnamed employees, it is unclear why Solimene left her role; thus, there is no evidence that she is no longer in the director’s role for opposing Trump’s $250 bill.

Moreover, according to the report, the staff were not asked to print the $250 bill; rather, to "prepare prototypes of the note."

Treasury signals planning for possible Donald Trump $250 bill

On May 28, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent announced that President Trump could soon appear on a new $250 bill, sparking criticism as federal law only allows deceased individuals to appear on bills. 

However, Bessent pointed to legislation before Congress to undo that requirement, saying, "We will stick to the law." 

The Treasury spokesperson's statement read, “In response to active legislation sponsored by Representative Joe Wilson, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) is conducting appropriate planning and due diligence."

"Should this legislative mandate be signed into law, the [Bureau of Engraving and Printing] is moving proactively to produce a $250 commemorative note which will appropriately recognize the 250th Anniversary of our great nation.”