Senate Democrats push bill to stop Trump from featuring on $1 coins
WASHINGTON, DC: Democratic Senators Jeff Merkley and Catherine Cortez Masto introduced new legislation on Tuesday, December 9, to prevent President Donald Trump from being featured on $1 coins.
The bill, called the 'Change Corruption Act', was also backed by Ron Wyden and Richard Blumenthal.
The proposed bill states that no US currency should feature “the likeness of a living or sitting president.”
Jeff Merkley compares Trump to Kim Jong Un
In a statement, Senator Jeff Merkley criticized Donald Trump’s plan to change the visual aspect of the American currency.
He said that President Trump’s “self-celebrating” maneuvers were “authoritarian actions” worthy of dictators such as Kim Jong Un from North Korea, not America.
Merkley further said that Trump’s efforts to “dismantle” the "We, The People" republic must be rejected with a “strongman state.”
Cortez Masto also chimed in on the same and said that “monarchs put their faces on coins” and that America has never had nor will ever have a “king.”
She added that the American legislation would “codify” the nation’s tradition of “not putting living presidents on American coins.”
“Congress must pass it without delay,” Masto added.
“By demanding strong accountability to prevent further abuse of taxpayer dollars,” Merkley said.
US Mint released three designs featuring Trump on $1 coins
In October 2025, the US Mint revealed its plans to create collectable coins featuring Donald Trump.
The website listed three designs in order to honor America’s 250th birthday, two of which had headshots of the president. The third design featured Trump’s side profile, and all three designs had the phrases “In God We Trust” and “1776-2026.”
There was another design, curated by US Treasurer Brandon Beach, which featured an image of Donald Trump after the assassination attempt on the president in 2024. The design featured the phrase “Fight, Fight, Fight” on it.
At the time, the spokesperson said that America was entering its 250th anniversary “stronger, more prosperous, and better than before” under the “historic” leadership of Donald Trump.
They added that while the final $1 coin design was not yet selected to commemorate America’s “semiquicentennial,” the first draft reflected well on the “enduring spirit” of the nation and its democracy, even in the face of immense obstacles.”
