A new passport featuring US President Donald Trump has created a lot of buzz online. Many people believed it would become the new standard US passport, but that is not the case. The special passport is only a limited-edition commemorative version. It will be available only at one passport office in the United States and only while supplies last.
Who can get the Trump passport?
The commemorative passport will begin rolling out on July 6, but it will only be issued at the Washington Passport Agency in Washington, DC. According to the US State Department, anyone applying for a passport at that office will automatically receive the special version as long as copies are still available.
However, applicants using any other method will not get it. That means the commemorative passport will not be issued to people applying online, through the mail, at US embassies or consulates overseas, or at passport agencies outside Washington, DC.
Only a limited number will be available
The State Department has said the passports will be issued “while supplies last.”
Although it has not officially confirmed the exact number, several reports say that between 25,000 and 30,000 commemorative passports are expected to be produced. Once those run out, the Washington Passport Agency will go back to issuing regular US passports.
The limited-edition “Patriot Passport” may look different, thanks to its custom artwork, but it works exactly like a regular US passport. It can be used for international travel just like any other passport and meets all the usual security standards. The special design also doesn’t cost applicants anything extra. Passport fees remain the same, with adult renewals priced at $130 and first-time passport books costing $165.
What does the passport look like?
A rendering shared by the White House on Friday shows Donald Trump leaning over the Resolute Desk with his fists clenched. The passport also carries his signature and includes text from the Declaration of Independence.
Earlier this year, in April, the State Department released the first preview of the passport. That version showed a portrait of Trump on a page placed before images of America’s Founding Fathers.
It is indeed a big change from past US passports, which have never featured the image of a sitting or former president. Trump has also said the passport will include the words, “Welcome, but be good!”
Trump keeps appearing on government projects
The commemorative passport is the latest example of the Trump administration placing the president’s name or image on government programs and institutions.
Earlier this year, Trump’s portrait was added to National Parks passes, where it now appears alongside George Washington on the Resident Annual Pass.
The administration has also backed plans to build a 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington Cemetery. Another major change came this year when the John F. Kennedy Memorial Centre for the Performing Arts was renamed the Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Centre for the Performing Arts.
That change, however, did not last. A federal judge ruled that renaming the venue violated a law that allows such changes only with approval from Congress.