And before anyone assumes, "Well, of course Springboard loves this idea, he's one of those MAGA guys"—pump the brakes. If you've followed me for any amount of time, you know I don't rubber-stamp ideas just because they come from someone I generally support.
So, let me be clear. I think the idea is dumb. Not dangerous. Not world-ending. Just unnecessary.
There's a long-standing rule—codified in 1866—that we don't put living people on U.S. currency. It came after Spencer Clark, then Superintendent of the National Currency Bureau, put his own face on a 5-cent note. Congress was furious, the public was furious, and Representative Thayer argued that honoring living individuals on currency undermined the dignity of the nation. He was right then, and he's still right now.
Now, Trump isn't against the idea. Of course he isn't. He likes putting his mark on things, and there's nothing unusual about that. Plenty of wealthy and influential people do the same. But this wasn't his idea to begin with. It came from Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina, and 13 Republicans cosigned it.
Honestly? They shouldn't have. Not because it's immoral, but because it's tone-deaf and politically pointless.
Should Trump oppose it? I think so. Not because he's unworthy, but because it hands critics an easy talking point. It adds fuel to a fire that doesn't need more gasoline. And beyond that—it just feels tacky.
If we want a $250 bill to celebrate America's 250th birthday, I'm all for it. I'd happily add one to my collection of interesting notes. But do we even need a person on it? Why not feature the signers of the Declaration of Independence? Why not choose something that honors the country instead of turning it into another culture-war chew toy?
Wilson and the cosponsors should have known this would look bad. Trump should know it doesn't look good. And the whole thing becomes yet another distraction—another shiny object for the media and the haters to obsess over instead of focusing on anything meaningful.
Changing the law wouldn't end the world. Most Americans will never even see a $250 bill. It would be a novelty, a collector's item, a conversation piece.
But big national milestones deserve something better. Something that reflects our history, not our divisions. Something that honors the country, not the chaos.
We have a chance to create a piece of currency that celebrates 250 years of America. We don't need to turn it into another political circus. Honor the country. Make the bill. Make it historic. And leave the culture-war out of it.
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© 2026 Jim Bauer
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