The US will soon begin issuing passports featuring an image of President Donald Trump inside, a State Department official said on Tuesday (US time).<\/p>\n
The official said that the passport “will be the default passport out of the Washington Passport Agency when available” for those who renew their passports in person at that location.<\/p>\n
“Online options or other locations will maintain existing passport design,” the official said.<\/p>\n
The presence of Trump’s likeness in the US passports is the latest – and most significant – instance of his image being used for an item said to be commemorating the 250th anniversary of US independence. Unlike a commemorative coin or national park pass, a US passport is an internationally recognised form of identification that is typically valid for 10 years.<\/p>\n
According to a mockup of the passport, Trump’s face and his signature in gold will appear on the inside cover.<\/p>\n
“As the United States celebrates America’s 250th anniversary in July, the State Department is preparing to release a limited number of specially designed US Passports to commemorate this historic occasion,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
“These passports will feature customised artwork and enhanced imagery while maintaining the same security features that make the US Passport the most secure documents in the world,” he said.<\/p>\n
The news was first reported by\u00a0The Bulwark<\/i>, and Fox News first published a mockup of the new passport.<\/p>\n
The State Department will begin to issue the passports this summer. It is unclear how many will be issued.<\/p>\n
According to the mockup of the passport, the back cover will show an image from\u00a0The Declaration of Independence\u00a0<\/i>painting by John Trumbull.<\/p>\n
Currently, the inside front cover of the US passports show an image of Percy Moran’s painting of Francis Scott Key the morning after the bombardment of Fort McHenry – the battle that inspired Key to write what would become the US national anthem. Lines from the anthem are also printed inside the front cover.<\/p>\n
The Department of the Interior, which oversees national parks, announced last year it was unveiling “commemorative new designs” for park passes, one of which features Trump’s face alongside George Washington.<\/p>\n
“It is the department’s honour to showcase the America the Beautiful pass honouring America’s 250th anniversary and the generations who have protected our lands,” Secretary Doug Burgum said in a video posted on the department’s website.<\/p>\n
And last month, Trump’s handpicked Commission of Fine Arts voted to approve a commemorative coin for the United States’ 250th birthday featuring the president’s likeness.<\/p>\n
Last year, Trump’s name was also affixed to both the Kennedy Centre and the US Institute of Peace.<\/p>\n
Source: CNN & RNZ<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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