‘Terribly written': Scott Bessent blasts Washington Post's Trump $250 bill story
WASHINGTON, DC: Treasury Secretary Scott Bassent tore into The Washington Post during White House briefing over its reporting on a proposed $250 commemorative bill featuring President Donald Trump.
The treasury secretary accused the newspaper of trying to manufacture controversy around what he described as routine planning tied to America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
Scott Bessent attacks The Washington Post
“I don’t really understand this Washington Post article, but who here is from the Post?” Bessent said while flipping through a printed copy of the story.
After a reporter identified himself, he fired back: “Terribly written, terribly edited.”
Bessent argued the article itself showed the Treasury Department was simply following legal procedures if Congress ever approved the commemorative bill. The current federal law explicitly prohibits the image of any living person from appearing on coins or currency, meaning Congress would need to approve any change.
“Because basically what it says is that Treasury is following the law, and that we’ve created the bill, and that it’s up to Congress … I didn’t really understand what the story was,” he said.
The Post reported Thursday that Trump officials had moved forward with designing a commemorative $250 bill featuring Trump’s face and signature, including preparations inside the Treasury Department.
That quickly became a major focus of the briefing as reporters repeatedly pressed Bessent over the proposal and whether Treasury officials were already preparing prototypes.
“Yes, of course,” Bessent said when CNN’s Kaitlan Collins asked whether political appointees were pushing staff at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to prepare designs.
“But we prepare for everything if it gets passed, just like we were ready six months in advance for the One Big Beautiful Bill for tax guidance,” he added.
“We have to prepare in advance. You can’t draw something up the day before.”
Trump bill sparks questions
Collins later asked whether putting Trump’s image on a $250 bill was appropriate while many Americans were struggling with grocery and gas prices.
Bessent dismissed the criticism and framed the effort as part of a broader patriotic celebration tied to the country’s 250th anniversary.
“Do you think we should have a 250th anniversary celebration?” he asked back.
When Collins noted celebrations were already happening, Bassent pushed back again.
“It’s happening because it’s being funded by private citizens, by the federal government, by state governments, by municipal governments to celebrate our country,” he said.
“And I don’t think that there’s anything untoward about having the president of the United States on the 250th anniversary bill.”
The Post reported that employees within the department raised concerns because federal law currently allows only deceased individuals to appear on US currency.
Legislation in Congress would be needed to change that, but a bill introduced more than a year ago to make the case has not made it out of committees.
