May 28, 2026
What’s In Your Wallet? How About President Trump’s Face!
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RSS Feed President Trump may soon be on a brand new $250 dollar bill, all in honor of our nation’s 250th anniversary. The issue with this plan, it’s against federal law. And to be honest, we didn’t think the administration was serious about moving forward with the plan until today’s press conference with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. No living president can appear on currency, unless Congress passes legislation authorizing a special “Trump” bill.
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00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks.
00:00:02
Speaker 2: It is Thursday, May twenty eighth, and according to US law, it is prohibited for a living president to have his face or her face on a bill. But that hasn't stopped the Treasury Department from drawing up a two hundred and fifty dollars bill with President Trump's face on it. And they're just standing by for the okay to print that, sucker, and with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ Robes.
00:00:33
Speaker 1: His face is on everything else? Why not? Well, why not?
00:00:36
Speaker 3: There's this federal law that's kind of in the way of that actually happening, because yet there is We don't have a dictatorship, we don't have a kingdom, and so yes, we don't put people on our currency and not say really anywhere on buildings and those types of memorials until you have in fact passed and you can be remembered. And those are the types of folks we honor. It's once they passed posthumously, not while they're living, because while they're living that would amount to almost being.
00:01:16
Speaker 2: Worshiped a little different, okay, but this is not just any president, and folks, as we sit here, we are talking to you and this is happening. And it came up today not just because of a Washington Post article that showed a new two hundred and fifty dollars bill with President Trump's name on it. Not just because of the story, but Scott Bessen, the Treasury Secretary today filled in as press secretary. Wow, yes, Carolyn, I think it's kind of a cool thing they're doing.
00:01:46
Speaker 3: I like it too. Actually, it's kind of cool. It's like a different cabinet member each press conference gets to handle the press, and you get a very different feel for each press conference. I actually really enjoyed jd Vance doing it.
00:02:00
Speaker 2: We loved I hope they once a week. I love this anyway. But it was his turned up today. So he was asked about this robes and we're gonna play it for you the actual exchange, but robes bottom line. I was a little jaw dropped, if you will, to hear him absolutely say yeah, what's the big deal?
00:02:23
Speaker 3: Yeah, he when he was questioned about it, and will actually play for you the exchange as it happened with CNN reporter, and I don't think anyone expected him to acknowledge it and then kind of double down like, Yeah, what's the problem. I don't see a problem with it. What's the big deal about having a sitting US president honored during the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the United States. I feel like we're going down a path where basically everything that seems well, that is questionable, is now just brushed under the rug of well, it's the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of this country, so why.
00:03:03
Speaker 2: Not robes you said, going down a road ropes. If they make an announcement in three months that they're adding his face to Mount Rushmore, I won't be surprised.
00:03:16
Speaker 3: That's where we're headed.
00:03:19
Speaker 1: I' what are we supposed to be? Stone?
00:03:20
Speaker 3: No Trump, Arc de Trump coming.
00:03:23
Speaker 1: To Isn't that it's official name? What is its name?
00:03:25
Speaker 3: Is Ark de Trump?
00:03:26
Speaker 1: No, it's not, No, you know what is it?
00:03:29
Speaker 2: It's the they call it the Triumphant arc is the name, that's what they're calling it.
00:03:34
Speaker 3: But it's going to be the Arc de Trump. Yes, we all know that's how it's actually going to be referred.
00:03:38
Speaker 2: But buildings, roads, reflecting, pools, airport, there's a ball room with his name on it. I'm talking with the things with just his name.
00:03:46
Speaker 3: Oh, there's a Kennedy Center.
00:03:48
Speaker 1: No, there's not.
00:03:50
Speaker 3: Well, it says it on the building.
00:03:52
Speaker 1: There's a Trump Kennedy Center.
00:03:54
Speaker 3: Now right, I guess we're saying the same thing.
00:03:57
Speaker 2: This is how we communicate. But his face, his branding. He is treating the country like his corporation, and branding is a big part of it. He is branding this country. And now we are talking about, folks, a legit currency that would have the sitting president's face on it, a two hundred and fifty dollars bill. You reminded me, Ro that I forgot about this, But this wasn't too long ago. He was already being added to our currency anyway.
00:04:26
Speaker 3: Yes, his signature was being put is being put on our currency. His face is being put on passports that are issued during this two hundred and fiftieth anniversary year. So he is finding ways. Oh, his face is on park passes now, I believe again for the two hundred and fiftieth celebration. But basically, any sort of mark he can make with his face to celebrate or honor our nation's anniversary, he is celebrating and honoring it with his image and likeness. That is and should be deeply concerning.
00:05:04
Speaker 2: So this comes about now Washington Post reporting big article today showing that there are a couple of members of the Treasury that are particular appointees of his that pushed for this. Now roads, we have to stop there. So they they claim they're just getting ready. So yes, they push just in case j I c to do these mock ups, right, so they're ready to go. But it's not completely up to them. Like we said, Robes, this is against federal law.
00:05:31
Speaker 3: It is absolutely against federal law. Have you seen the picture of it, by the way, yes, what are your impressions of the image of President Trump on this bill? He looks menacing, as I would just say menacing af he looks it's he looks like a he wants to be like a wanna be bad act.
00:05:50
Speaker 2: I'm sorry because I'm not trying to make any other kinds of comparisons. The first thing I saw was the OJ Simpson image on Time magazine that they darken ough to let him to make them look more menacing.
00:06:00
Speaker 1: Remember that big story.
00:06:01
Speaker 2: Yes, it looks like this is darkened up to make him look more menacing for some reason. The way this inc is done, That's the first thing that popped in my mind, please everybody. I'm not trying to make some comparison between these two men. I'm just saying that's what the picture looks like. As I'm staring, he.
00:06:15
Speaker 3: Almost looks like an all powerful, like dark leader. It's not a friendly photo. It's not a warm photo. It's not an inviting picture. It's one of strength and don't f with me. And that's exactly what he tends when you see his true social post and the images he likes that people mock up of him. It's very much this impression of a strong, don't f with me kind of guy. And that's what it looks like on this currency. It's not like the others. There is no stoicism, there is no neutrality. He actually looks pissed off in this picture, like you know, after he says you're fired on the Apprentice R. That's exactly what his there.
00:06:55
Speaker 2: It is, Robes, that is a promo picture, your fire. It's a promo picture. That's what that is. Okay, you just brought it home for me there, but we're looking at Robes. They decided to put this together to make this bill and are standing by because they can't just decide to print it on their own because, like we said, it's against the law. But there are well, I guess at least one dude in Congress who was trying to get the law changed in the first place. Where was he from again, in South Carolina?
00:07:24
Speaker 3: I have to go back there.
00:07:26
Speaker 2: There was one member of So there's a bill sitting in Congress right now in which this guy wants to introduce a two hundred and fifty dollars bill with Trump's image on it. It's just been sitting there. It hasn't gone anywhere. It had no chance of going anywhere. However, Now now, Robes, will this lead to some momentum? We'll folks see that. Wow, this is something that President Trump wants. Wow, this is something.
00:07:51
Speaker 3: That needs to be brought to the House for a vote if you'd like to be re elected and supported by Trump.
00:07:56
Speaker 2: There we go, Robes, and right now, don't they have enough of the numbers?
00:08:02
Speaker 1: Positive? Are Republicans going to go along with.
00:08:05
Speaker 3: This too if they want to keep their seat?
00:08:08
Speaker 1: But is he going to hold it against everybody?
00:08:11
Speaker 3: Is this you know he will?
00:08:12
Speaker 1: Is the president going to come out and say he wants it too bad? Kissed it?
00:08:15
Speaker 3: You?
00:08:15
Speaker 2: I want I would love to hear him defend it.
00:08:19
Speaker 3: I think you won't have to wait long. I don't think you will. Look, I think this is right in line. I mean, he got his signature on currency, and he has his face in certain passports, so yes, this is the next step. And look, I think we've made it pretty clear. It's against federal law. But no living person has appeared on US currency since eighteen sixty six.
00:08:44
Speaker 1: And who was that dude?
00:08:45
Speaker 3: He was out loud after the image of a mid level Treasury bureaucrat showed up on a five cent note.
00:08:52
Speaker 1: This was actually one of the funniest things in history.
00:08:54
Speaker 2: Yeah, he slid his own face into currency, some nobody essentially, so he calls a scam and they changed, So they changed a lot. I actually think that's the greatest prankster in the history of the government.
00:09:06
Speaker 3: Yes, so ever since then, and I believe we did look it up. Abraham Lincoln did appear on currency during his lifetime. It was during the Civil War and it was before that federal law was enacted, and so his portrait was used on some treasury notes and some bonds, but obviously nothing that we still use today. While he was living.
00:09:28
Speaker 2: Piece of history that I didn't know he was on the ten before. Oh, on the five now, but it was the ten. It was a ten dollar note back then. It's amazing the stuff you learned.
00:09:38
Speaker 3: Yeah, in the eighteen sixty six band. Just in case you wanted to know his name, this low level treasury official who was in charge of printing, who slipped his own portrait on the five cent currency note. They it was out when Congress passed the fair Amendment, and they said, outraged by this active vanity. They called it an active vanity. But his name was Spencer Clark.
00:10:01
Speaker 1: You know, it's Spencer eyeplod.
00:10:03
Speaker 3: Spencer Clark. Because of his active vanity, made it illegal. And it is truly on the books for any living person to appear on US government money.
00:10:13
Speaker 2: So that is as plain as we can make it is against the law. So this seems to be robes at least one that Trump can't do on his own, and it doesn't look like they're trying to find a way around necessarily. But what we heard from Scott Besson today, the Treasury secretary in that press room, makes you sit up and think and wonder what they might be up to. Stay here, we will let you hear the exchange from today. Welcome back to those episodes of Amy and TJ.
00:10:55
Speaker 3: What do you think the chances are that you're going to have a Trump bill in the back of yourd pocket in the months and maybe even years to come. What do you think the chances.
00:11:06
Speaker 2: Are higher than whatever I would say as a reasonable person. Yeah right, there's a part of me that would say a bunch of things. Ah, there's no way he's going to get elected. There's no way he's going to get elected twice. There's no way he's going to get that plane actually here, and that four hundred million dollar playing you remember that, all these things we don't think Trump is going to do. He's not going to do that. He can't do that, he won't do that, No way he's going to do that, and he keeps doing it. Yeah, so robes, here we are.
00:11:34
Speaker 1: I didn't an I swear.
00:11:36
Speaker 2: There's not a chance in hell his name was going to be in front of John F.
00:11:41
Speaker 1: Kennedy.
00:11:41
Speaker 3: That's so true. Okay, So here we are today. This press conference was pretty remarkable. And just to back up a little bit, the Washington Post did put this in their article. The printing director at the Treasury Department I didn't even know this. I don't know if this was on your radar at all either. But before today, Yeah, the pressing a Treasury signed resigned or was reassigned excuse me, reassigned last month because she resisted this effort that was being pitched and pushed starting last year. By the way, this isn't some new effort. This has been in the works for at least several several months. So you've got the US Treasurer, Brandon Beach, his senior advisor Mike Brown, pushing prototypes of this bill, this two hundred and fifty dollars bill with President Trump's face on it or image on it. And yes, the printing director was resisting it, and so she was reassigned.
00:12:39
Speaker 1: She's like, nah, I'm not going to draw that up. I mean, what do you do?
00:12:42
Speaker 3: She did make a funny little comment the buck stops here, so she had to she had to leave.
00:12:48
Speaker 1: I could have done without that on bump.
00:12:50
Speaker 2: I appreciated it, But Bro, they can't right there there, Nothing has been done right now that suggests a legal or wrong improper, a waste of taxpayer nothing like that.
00:13:05
Speaker 1: Robes.
00:13:05
Speaker 2: Now, you can make the argument this is a waste of time. Why would you push this? But so far they got things ready to go, and that is where.
00:13:13
Speaker 3: We are, and that is what the Treasury Department has said that they are just conducting quote the appropriate planning and due diligence in response to the proposed legislation in Congress. So they're ready just in case they want to be ready to go. So sounds like our government, doesn't it just doing things in advance in case something happens. That sounds like how our government typically runs. Baha haa ha ha.
00:13:36
Speaker 2: You know what, I don't know. You should work on your sarcasm. Sometimes it's confusing.
00:13:41
Speaker 3: What's it confusing? That was really intended to be sarcastic, but.
00:13:44
Speaker 1: Here it is today.
00:13:45
Speaker 2: Yes, Scott besnen't filling in for Carolyn Levitt as press secretary today. He was in there and he got into this exchange and this is going to go about a minute and a half. But you hear him get into a back and forth with Caitlin Collins, Colin CNN and Rhodes. I thought he was going to wiggle his way out of it. You hear him for a moment and said, oh, he's not going to really answer this question, and then at the end he drops the bombshell. So take a listen. Here he is with the back and forth with the CNN reporter in the press briefing room today.
00:14:16
Speaker 3: You said that it's up to Congress. The president's face is on a two hundred and fifty dollars bill, But it is actually the Washington Post that's reported two political appointees from the Treasury Department who have asked agencies to be ready to do that. Do you think politically it's a good idea to put his face on.
00:14:29
Speaker 2: Afty dollars bill?
00:14:31
Speaker 4: People are struggling. You know, I don't really understand this Washington Post article that who hears from the Post? Yeah, terribly written, terribly edited. So basically what it says is that Treasure Treasury is following the wall and that we've created the bill and that it's up to Congress, but that we follow the bill and it's up to I didn't really understand what.
00:14:52
Speaker 1: The story was.
00:14:54
Speaker 3: Any involved in that two of your political appointees.
00:14:57
Speaker 4: Yeah, of course, 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. That, so we have to prepare in advance. You can't draw something up the day before.
00:15:11
Speaker 3: Politically, do you think it's a good idea that when people are struggling to afford gas in Grosary?
00:15:16
Speaker 4: Look, I think it has I think that it's bifurcated that. Do you think we should have a two hundred and fiftieth anniversary the celebration, Well.
00:15:25
Speaker 3: That's happening anyway before.
00:15:27
Speaker 4: No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no no, But Kaitlyn, it's not happening anyway. It's happening because it's being funded by private citizens, by the federal government, by state governors, by municipal governments to celebrate our country. And I don't think that there's anything untoward about having the president of the United States, that the person who was President of United States on the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary bill.
00:15:51
Speaker 3: He doesn't think there's anything untoward. However, our law says it's illegal.
00:15:56
Speaker 2: Okay, if the lowest changed and said it is legal, is there anything untoward?
00:16:00
Speaker 3: No, I guess not. It's not illegal. But is it the way our country and how we the way in which we regard presidents. They're not immortalized. While they're living, they're not. There is something to that. I think we all know that. It reeks of dictatorships, not democracies. This is not what we see in democracies. This is not why we fought for our freedom from England. For we didn't do this to then create our own kings and our own royalty and presidents who can act singularly. And that's what we've been seeing repeatedly, at least in the second term.
00:16:52
Speaker 2: He can stop this if he wanted to. Obviously, Robes, I don't. There is no I thought the Kennedy Center thing was the was a joke. I honestly, Robes, that was the one.
00:17:04
Speaker 1: For me.
00:17:04
Speaker 2: I think there's no way this is this is a sacred this is Kennedy. All we know is Kennedy Center honors. All we know is I thought there was no chance so this now I don't even know quite Frankly, Robes, how this compares to the Kennedy Center For me, when it comes to just stunned and shock and how sacrilegious it felt for that to happen to the Kennedy Center, this feels more vanity.
00:17:31
Speaker 1: Right.
00:17:32
Speaker 2: You're doing it at a time when most Americans don't have two hundred and fifty damn dollars in the checking account.
00:17:39
Speaker 3: The idea of having a two hundred and fifty dollars bill is.
00:17:42
Speaker 2: Real for a lot of folks, even for most people seems silly robes. So I don't know what we're doing, but there's no stopping it seems there's no stopping. There's what was the thing they finally pushed back on Republicans, the the big the fund, the what they call weapon anti weaponization fun you know what. Find the Republicans resisted a little bit on that one. Will there be some on this one? Who knows?
00:18:05
Speaker 3: Who knows? And look, this does require an Act of Congress. Oh, I mean, so they're going to have to pass this, and then, truly, the way our country works, voters will have to decide if they want to keep those elected officials if this does go through with all the other issues at hand, Look, this is a matter for voters on a local level. This is why local elections matter. This is why primaries matter, because who ends up in Congress determines a lot of this stuff that seems surreal, seems insane, but yet we're seeing it happen, and it was Joe Wilson. By the way, we're trying to come up with the name of the congressman from South Carolina. Joe Wilson is the one who introduced legislation back in February of last year, so over a year ago to circulate this two hundred and fifty dollars create this two hundred fifty dollars bill with President Trump's likeness on it.
00:19:00
Speaker 2: Is there might there's a couple of other bill I think there was a bill to have his face on the one hundred.
00:19:06
Speaker 1: I think there was a bill to add him to Mount Rush.
00:19:08
Speaker 3: I think there is one to yes that sounds familiar to me. But right now this bill is in the House Financial Services Committee. They haven't taken any action on that measure, but it's sitting in committee right now. So it'll be interesting to see after this press conference if there's a renewed push, especially with the two hundred and fifty anniversary coming up. And Wow, it seems like, yeah, they're ready to go. Did it not seem like to you? I know, they have a mock up and it's not as if they have it in mass production, but it certainly seems like they're ready to go. Because he said, we prepare for everything if it gets past. Just like we were ready six months in advance for the one big beautiful bill for tax guidance, we have to prepare in advance. So that sounds like they're ready to circulate this money if it's passed.
00:20:00
Speaker 2: They're not trying to make the anniversary though had no, Okay.
00:20:04
Speaker 3: I haven't leave within this calendar year. I would think would be because that was one of the issues. The woman who stepped down, who was in charge of the printing, she said, guys, this can take years, and they were like, yeah, no, we're good. We're ready to go. We've been prepared. They've been preparing. That was one of my big takeaways from this press conference. They've been kind of getting ready for more than a year.
00:20:28
Speaker 1: Now, you know something we don't.
00:20:30
Speaker 3: It sounded like it to me.
00:20:32
Speaker 2: I can't imagine going up to somebody, Hey, you got change for a two fifty.
00:20:36
Speaker 1: I mean, that's where we're going to walk around with two.
00:20:38
Speaker 3: And I don't even like having more than a twenty dollars bill in my pocket these days.
00:20:42
Speaker 2: Besides Vegas, where could you go and need a two hundred and fifty dollars bill?
00:20:46
Speaker 3: It's a really good question, okay, that I don't necessarily want the answer to.
00:20:52
Speaker 2: All Right, folks, it's been a day. We always appreciated you spending some time with us. From a deer Amy roboch, I'm t J. Holmes will be talking to the also
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks.
00:00:02
Speaker 2: It is Thursday, May twenty eighth, and according to US law, it is prohibited for a living president to have his face or her face on a bill. But that hasn't stopped the Treasury Department from drawing up a two hundred and fifty dollars bill with President Trump's face on it. And they're just standing by for the okay to print that, sucker, and with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ Robes.
00:00:33
Speaker 1: His face is on everything else? Why not? Well, why not?
00:00:36
Speaker 3: There's this federal law that's kind of in the way of that actually happening, because yet there is We don't have a dictatorship, we don't have a kingdom, and so yes, we don't put people on our currency and not say really anywhere on buildings and those types of memorials until you have in fact passed and you can be remembered. And those are the types of folks we honor. It's once they passed posthumously, not while they're living, because while they're living that would amount to almost being.
00:01:16
Speaker 2: Worshiped a little different, okay, but this is not just any president, and folks, as we sit here, we are talking to you and this is happening. And it came up today not just because of a Washington Post article that showed a new two hundred and fifty dollars bill with President Trump's name on it. Not just because of the story, but Scott Bessen, the Treasury Secretary today filled in as press secretary. Wow, yes, Carolyn, I think it's kind of a cool thing they're doing.
00:01:46
Speaker 3: I like it too. Actually, it's kind of cool. It's like a different cabinet member each press conference gets to handle the press, and you get a very different feel for each press conference. I actually really enjoyed jd Vance doing it.
00:02:00
Speaker 2: We loved I hope they once a week. I love this anyway. But it was his turned up today. So he was asked about this robes and we're gonna play it for you the actual exchange, but robes bottom line. I was a little jaw dropped, if you will, to hear him absolutely say yeah, what's the big deal?
00:02:23
Speaker 3: Yeah, he when he was questioned about it, and will actually play for you the exchange as it happened with CNN reporter, and I don't think anyone expected him to acknowledge it and then kind of double down like, Yeah, what's the problem. I don't see a problem with it. What's the big deal about having a sitting US president honored during the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the United States. I feel like we're going down a path where basically everything that seems well, that is questionable, is now just brushed under the rug of well, it's the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of this country, so why.
00:03:03
Speaker 2: Not robes you said, going down a road ropes. If they make an announcement in three months that they're adding his face to Mount Rushmore, I won't be surprised.
00:03:16
Speaker 3: That's where we're headed.
00:03:19
Speaker 1: I' what are we supposed to be? Stone?
00:03:20
Speaker 3: No Trump, Arc de Trump coming.
00:03:23
Speaker 1: To Isn't that it's official name? What is its name?
00:03:25
Speaker 3: Is Ark de Trump?
00:03:26
Speaker 1: No, it's not, No, you know what is it?
00:03:29
Speaker 2: It's the they call it the Triumphant arc is the name, that's what they're calling it.
00:03:34
Speaker 3: But it's going to be the Arc de Trump. Yes, we all know that's how it's actually going to be referred.
00:03:38
Speaker 2: But buildings, roads, reflecting, pools, airport, there's a ball room with his name on it. I'm talking with the things with just his name.
00:03:46
Speaker 3: Oh, there's a Kennedy Center.
00:03:48
Speaker 1: No, there's not.
00:03:50
Speaker 3: Well, it says it on the building.
00:03:52
Speaker 1: There's a Trump Kennedy Center.
00:03:54
Speaker 3: Now right, I guess we're saying the same thing.
00:03:57
Speaker 2: This is how we communicate. But his face, his branding. He is treating the country like his corporation, and branding is a big part of it. He is branding this country. And now we are talking about, folks, a legit currency that would have the sitting president's face on it, a two hundred and fifty dollars bill. You reminded me, Ro that I forgot about this, But this wasn't too long ago. He was already being added to our currency anyway.
00:04:26
Speaker 3: Yes, his signature was being put is being put on our currency. His face is being put on passports that are issued during this two hundred and fiftieth anniversary year. So he is finding ways. Oh, his face is on park passes now, I believe again for the two hundred and fiftieth celebration. But basically, any sort of mark he can make with his face to celebrate or honor our nation's anniversary, he is celebrating and honoring it with his image and likeness. That is and should be deeply concerning.
00:05:04
Speaker 2: So this comes about now Washington Post reporting big article today showing that there are a couple of members of the Treasury that are particular appointees of his that pushed for this. Now roads, we have to stop there. So they they claim they're just getting ready. So yes, they push just in case j I c to do these mock ups, right, so they're ready to go. But it's not completely up to them. Like we said, Robes, this is against federal law.
00:05:31
Speaker 3: It is absolutely against federal law. Have you seen the picture of it, by the way, yes, what are your impressions of the image of President Trump on this bill? He looks menacing, as I would just say menacing af he looks it's he looks like a he wants to be like a wanna be bad act.
00:05:50
Speaker 2: I'm sorry because I'm not trying to make any other kinds of comparisons. The first thing I saw was the OJ Simpson image on Time magazine that they darken ough to let him to make them look more menacing.
00:06:00
Speaker 1: Remember that big story.
00:06:01
Speaker 2: Yes, it looks like this is darkened up to make him look more menacing for some reason. The way this inc is done, That's the first thing that popped in my mind, please everybody. I'm not trying to make some comparison between these two men. I'm just saying that's what the picture looks like. As I'm staring, he.
00:06:15
Speaker 3: Almost looks like an all powerful, like dark leader. It's not a friendly photo. It's not a warm photo. It's not an inviting picture. It's one of strength and don't f with me. And that's exactly what he tends when you see his true social post and the images he likes that people mock up of him. It's very much this impression of a strong, don't f with me kind of guy. And that's what it looks like on this currency. It's not like the others. There is no stoicism, there is no neutrality. He actually looks pissed off in this picture, like you know, after he says you're fired on the Apprentice R. That's exactly what his there.
00:06:55
Speaker 2: It is, Robes, that is a promo picture, your fire. It's a promo picture. That's what that is. Okay, you just brought it home for me there, but we're looking at Robes. They decided to put this together to make this bill and are standing by because they can't just decide to print it on their own because, like we said, it's against the law. But there are well, I guess at least one dude in Congress who was trying to get the law changed in the first place. Where was he from again, in South Carolina?
00:07:24
Speaker 3: I have to go back there.
00:07:26
Speaker 2: There was one member of So there's a bill sitting in Congress right now in which this guy wants to introduce a two hundred and fifty dollars bill with Trump's image on it. It's just been sitting there. It hasn't gone anywhere. It had no chance of going anywhere. However, Now now, Robes, will this lead to some momentum? We'll folks see that. Wow, this is something that President Trump wants. Wow, this is something.
00:07:51
Speaker 3: That needs to be brought to the House for a vote if you'd like to be re elected and supported by Trump.
00:07:56
Speaker 2: There we go, Robes, and right now, don't they have enough of the numbers?
00:08:02
Speaker 1: Positive? Are Republicans going to go along with.
00:08:05
Speaker 3: This too if they want to keep their seat?
00:08:08
Speaker 1: But is he going to hold it against everybody?
00:08:11
Speaker 3: Is this you know he will?
00:08:12
Speaker 1: Is the president going to come out and say he wants it too bad? Kissed it?
00:08:15
Speaker 3: You?
00:08:15
Speaker 2: I want I would love to hear him defend it.
00:08:19
Speaker 3: I think you won't have to wait long. I don't think you will. Look, I think this is right in line. I mean, he got his signature on currency, and he has his face in certain passports, so yes, this is the next step. And look, I think we've made it pretty clear. It's against federal law. But no living person has appeared on US currency since eighteen sixty six.
00:08:44
Speaker 1: And who was that dude?
00:08:45
Speaker 3: He was out loud after the image of a mid level Treasury bureaucrat showed up on a five cent note.
00:08:52
Speaker 1: This was actually one of the funniest things in history.
00:08:54
Speaker 2: Yeah, he slid his own face into currency, some nobody essentially, so he calls a scam and they changed, So they changed a lot. I actually think that's the greatest prankster in the history of the government.
00:09:06
Speaker 3: Yes, so ever since then, and I believe we did look it up. Abraham Lincoln did appear on currency during his lifetime. It was during the Civil War and it was before that federal law was enacted, and so his portrait was used on some treasury notes and some bonds, but obviously nothing that we still use today. While he was living.
00:09:28
Speaker 2: Piece of history that I didn't know he was on the ten before. Oh, on the five now, but it was the ten. It was a ten dollar note back then. It's amazing the stuff you learned.
00:09:38
Speaker 3: Yeah, in the eighteen sixty six band. Just in case you wanted to know his name, this low level treasury official who was in charge of printing, who slipped his own portrait on the five cent currency note. They it was out when Congress passed the fair Amendment, and they said, outraged by this active vanity. They called it an active vanity. But his name was Spencer Clark.
00:10:01
Speaker 1: You know, it's Spencer eyeplod.
00:10:03
Speaker 3: Spencer Clark. Because of his active vanity, made it illegal. And it is truly on the books for any living person to appear on US government money.
00:10:13
Speaker 2: So that is as plain as we can make it is against the law. So this seems to be robes at least one that Trump can't do on his own, and it doesn't look like they're trying to find a way around necessarily. But what we heard from Scott Besson today, the Treasury secretary in that press room, makes you sit up and think and wonder what they might be up to. Stay here, we will let you hear the exchange from today. Welcome back to those episodes of Amy and TJ.
00:10:55
Speaker 3: What do you think the chances are that you're going to have a Trump bill in the back of yourd pocket in the months and maybe even years to come. What do you think the chances.
00:11:06
Speaker 2: Are higher than whatever I would say as a reasonable person. Yeah right, there's a part of me that would say a bunch of things. Ah, there's no way he's going to get elected. There's no way he's going to get elected twice. There's no way he's going to get that plane actually here, and that four hundred million dollar playing you remember that, all these things we don't think Trump is going to do. He's not going to do that. He can't do that, he won't do that, No way he's going to do that, and he keeps doing it. Yeah, so robes, here we are.
00:11:34
Speaker 1: I didn't an I swear.
00:11:36
Speaker 2: There's not a chance in hell his name was going to be in front of John F.
00:11:41
Speaker 1: Kennedy.
00:11:41
Speaker 3: That's so true. Okay, So here we are today. This press conference was pretty remarkable. And just to back up a little bit, the Washington Post did put this in their article. The printing director at the Treasury Department I didn't even know this. I don't know if this was on your radar at all either. But before today, Yeah, the pressing a Treasury signed resigned or was reassigned excuse me, reassigned last month because she resisted this effort that was being pitched and pushed starting last year. By the way, this isn't some new effort. This has been in the works for at least several several months. So you've got the US Treasurer, Brandon Beach, his senior advisor Mike Brown, pushing prototypes of this bill, this two hundred and fifty dollars bill with President Trump's face on it or image on it. And yes, the printing director was resisting it, and so she was reassigned.
00:12:39
Speaker 1: She's like, nah, I'm not going to draw that up. I mean, what do you do?
00:12:42
Speaker 3: She did make a funny little comment the buck stops here, so she had to she had to leave.
00:12:48
Speaker 1: I could have done without that on bump.
00:12:50
Speaker 2: I appreciated it, But Bro, they can't right there there, Nothing has been done right now that suggests a legal or wrong improper, a waste of taxpayer nothing like that.
00:13:05
Speaker 1: Robes.
00:13:05
Speaker 2: Now, you can make the argument this is a waste of time. Why would you push this? But so far they got things ready to go, and that is where.
00:13:13
Speaker 3: We are, and that is what the Treasury Department has said that they are just conducting quote the appropriate planning and due diligence in response to the proposed legislation in Congress. So they're ready just in case they want to be ready to go. So sounds like our government, doesn't it just doing things in advance in case something happens. That sounds like how our government typically runs. Baha haa ha ha.
00:13:36
Speaker 2: You know what, I don't know. You should work on your sarcasm. Sometimes it's confusing.
00:13:41
Speaker 3: What's it confusing? That was really intended to be sarcastic, but.
00:13:44
Speaker 1: Here it is today.
00:13:45
Speaker 2: Yes, Scott besnen't filling in for Carolyn Levitt as press secretary today. He was in there and he got into this exchange and this is going to go about a minute and a half. But you hear him get into a back and forth with Caitlin Collins, Colin CNN and Rhodes. I thought he was going to wiggle his way out of it. You hear him for a moment and said, oh, he's not going to really answer this question, and then at the end he drops the bombshell. So take a listen. Here he is with the back and forth with the CNN reporter in the press briefing room today.
00:14:16
Speaker 3: You said that it's up to Congress. The president's face is on a two hundred and fifty dollars bill, But it is actually the Washington Post that's reported two political appointees from the Treasury Department who have asked agencies to be ready to do that. Do you think politically it's a good idea to put his face on.
00:14:29
Speaker 2: Afty dollars bill?
00:14:31
Speaker 4: People are struggling. You know, I don't really understand this Washington Post article that who hears from the Post? Yeah, terribly written, terribly edited. So basically what it says is that Treasure Treasury is following the wall and that we've created the bill and that it's up to Congress, but that we follow the bill and it's up to I didn't really understand what.
00:14:52
Speaker 1: The story was.
00:14:54
Speaker 3: Any involved in that two of your political appointees.
00:14:57
Speaker 4: Yeah, of course, 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. That, so we have to prepare in advance. You can't draw something up the day before.
00:15:11
Speaker 3: Politically, do you think it's a good idea that when people are struggling to afford gas in Grosary?
00:15:16
Speaker 4: Look, I think it has I think that it's bifurcated that. Do you think we should have a two hundred and fiftieth anniversary the celebration, Well.
00:15:25
Speaker 3: That's happening anyway before.
00:15:27
Speaker 4: No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no no, But Kaitlyn, it's not happening anyway. It's happening because it's being funded by private citizens, by the federal government, by state governors, by municipal governments to celebrate our country. And I don't think that there's anything untoward about having the president of the United States, that the person who was President of United States on the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary bill.
00:15:51
Speaker 3: He doesn't think there's anything untoward. However, our law says it's illegal.
00:15:56
Speaker 2: Okay, if the lowest changed and said it is legal, is there anything untoward?
00:16:00
Speaker 3: No, I guess not. It's not illegal. But is it the way our country and how we the way in which we regard presidents. They're not immortalized. While they're living, they're not. There is something to that. I think we all know that. It reeks of dictatorships, not democracies. This is not what we see in democracies. This is not why we fought for our freedom from England. For we didn't do this to then create our own kings and our own royalty and presidents who can act singularly. And that's what we've been seeing repeatedly, at least in the second term.
00:16:52
Speaker 2: He can stop this if he wanted to. Obviously, Robes, I don't. There is no I thought the Kennedy Center thing was the was a joke. I honestly, Robes, that was the one.
00:17:04
Speaker 1: For me.
00:17:04
Speaker 2: I think there's no way this is this is a sacred this is Kennedy. All we know is Kennedy Center honors. All we know is I thought there was no chance so this now I don't even know quite Frankly, Robes, how this compares to the Kennedy Center For me, when it comes to just stunned and shock and how sacrilegious it felt for that to happen to the Kennedy Center, this feels more vanity.
00:17:31
Speaker 1: Right.
00:17:32
Speaker 2: You're doing it at a time when most Americans don't have two hundred and fifty damn dollars in the checking account.
00:17:39
Speaker 3: The idea of having a two hundred and fifty dollars bill is.
00:17:42
Speaker 2: Real for a lot of folks, even for most people seems silly robes. So I don't know what we're doing, but there's no stopping it seems there's no stopping. There's what was the thing they finally pushed back on Republicans, the the big the fund, the what they call weapon anti weaponization fun you know what. Find the Republicans resisted a little bit on that one. Will there be some on this one? Who knows?
00:18:05
Speaker 3: Who knows? And look, this does require an Act of Congress. Oh, I mean, so they're going to have to pass this, and then, truly, the way our country works, voters will have to decide if they want to keep those elected officials if this does go through with all the other issues at hand, Look, this is a matter for voters on a local level. This is why local elections matter. This is why primaries matter, because who ends up in Congress determines a lot of this stuff that seems surreal, seems insane, but yet we're seeing it happen, and it was Joe Wilson. By the way, we're trying to come up with the name of the congressman from South Carolina. Joe Wilson is the one who introduced legislation back in February of last year, so over a year ago to circulate this two hundred and fifty dollars create this two hundred fifty dollars bill with President Trump's likeness on it.
00:19:00
Speaker 2: Is there might there's a couple of other bill I think there was a bill to have his face on the one hundred.
00:19:06
Speaker 1: I think there was a bill to add him to Mount Rush.
00:19:08
Speaker 3: I think there is one to yes that sounds familiar to me. But right now this bill is in the House Financial Services Committee. They haven't taken any action on that measure, but it's sitting in committee right now. So it'll be interesting to see after this press conference if there's a renewed push, especially with the two hundred and fifty anniversary coming up. And Wow, it seems like, yeah, they're ready to go. Did it not seem like to you? I know, they have a mock up and it's not as if they have it in mass production, but it certainly seems like they're ready to go. Because he said, we prepare for everything if it gets past. Just like we were ready six months in advance for the one big beautiful bill for tax guidance, we have to prepare in advance. So that sounds like they're ready to circulate this money if it's passed.
00:20:00
Speaker 2: They're not trying to make the anniversary though had no, Okay.
00:20:04
Speaker 3: I haven't leave within this calendar year. I would think would be because that was one of the issues. The woman who stepped down, who was in charge of the printing, she said, guys, this can take years, and they were like, yeah, no, we're good. We're ready to go. We've been prepared. They've been preparing. That was one of my big takeaways from this press conference. They've been kind of getting ready for more than a year.
00:20:28
Speaker 1: Now, you know something we don't.
00:20:30
Speaker 3: It sounded like it to me.
00:20:32
Speaker 2: I can't imagine going up to somebody, Hey, you got change for a two fifty.
00:20:36
Speaker 1: I mean, that's where we're going to walk around with two.
00:20:38
Speaker 3: And I don't even like having more than a twenty dollars bill in my pocket these days.
00:20:42
Speaker 2: Besides Vegas, where could you go and need a two hundred and fifty dollars bill?
00:20:46
Speaker 3: It's a really good question, okay, that I don't necessarily want the answer to.
00:20:52
Speaker 2: All Right, folks, it's been a day. We always appreciated you spending some time with us. From a deer Amy roboch, I'm t J. Holmes will be talking to the also