Donald Trump Commemorative Passport Has One Little-Known Loophole if You Don't Want His Portrait

As special application events begin this month, growing controversy is forcing citizens to navigate a surprisingly complex process to secure their preferred design.

Officials say demand continues to surge despite debate surrounding the commemorative passport.

State Department Expands Rollout

The State Department revealed on Thursday that more citizens will now be able to obtain the new American passport featuring President Trump's portrait.

According to a public announcement, authorities are issuing another 250,000 copies of the commemorative 'Patriot Passport' following 'overwhelming demand' from applicants.

Securing this specific edition requires extra effort, as applications submitted by post, through online portals, at local processing centres or at diplomatic posts abroad remain ineligible.

Instead, the agency is staging targeted public events across the country, with bookings required throughout August and September.

Driving from his home in Alabama in his self-described 'MAGA red' Hyundai, John Hall set out to obtain the updated passport.

'It's a commemorative thing to have,' he told NPR, describing himself as a major supporter of the administration.

However, he left empty-handed on Monday after failing to secure an appointment before making the return journey home.

Hall said he would try again at future 'special passport acceptance events' scheduled by officials, including those on 22 August and 26 September.

Agency representatives assured NPR they have sufficient stock to meet public demand.

Applicants Offered Different Experiences

Under normal policy, the Washington passport facility is reserved for Americans with proof of travel within the next few days.

Richmond resident Kim Zaninovich met that requirement, but left the office on Monday describing it as 'distressing' to find President Trump's portrait inside the front cover of her travel document.

'It's an angry look,' she said of the image showing Trump with clenched fists resting on a desk, positioned in front of the Declaration of Independence and the US flag.

Zaninovich said staff gave her no option to decline the artwork and receive a standard passport instead.

Meanwhile, fellow applicant Ariel Baras said staff offered him a choice, prompting him to conclude: 'Why not?'

How To Avoid the Commemorative Design

Despite initial uncertainty over whether applicants could choose an alternative, NPR identified a workaround for visitors to the Washington office who do not want a passport featuring Trump's illustration.

Applicants can request a 50-page passport instead. Official guidance states that the commemorative 250th anniversary edition is available only in the standard 28-page format, meaning anyone ordering the larger booklet will automatically receive the conventional design.

Trump Makes Passport History

Trump becomes the first sitting US president to appear on an American passport.

The travel document also features illustrations of Mount Rushmore, depicting the stone-carved faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt.

In addition, quotations from several former presidents — including Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson — appear throughout American passports.

Over the past 18 months, the Trump administration has attached the president's name and image to a range of buildings, programmes and commemorative items.

Examples include the US Institute for Peace and the Kennedy Center, although officials removed Trump's branding from the latter in June following a federal judge's directive.

Later this autumn, the US Mint is set to issue a $1 (£0.74) gold coin bearing Trump's image to mark the nation's 250th anniversary.