US gets new ‘patriot passport’ with Trump's picture: ‘Welcome, but be good’ amid 250th anniversary of independence

President Trump unveiled a limited-edition US passport design celebrating the 250th anniversary of independence, featuring his portrait and elements of the Declaration of Independence. The White House termed it the 'PATRIOT PASSPORT.'(Image: @WhiteHouse/X)President Donald Trump on Friday revealed a rendering of a limited-edition US passport created to commemorate the country's 250th anniversary of independence, featuring his own portrait.In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump shared the passport design and wrote, "The U.S.A.'s New Passport, which says, 'Welcome, but be good!'"The mock-up shows a serious-looking Trump seated at his desk alongside his signature, with the text of the Declaration of Independence in the background. The image appears to be based on a portrait captured by White House photographer Daniel Torok.The reverse page features an illustration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, accompanied by the words “United States of America 250.”The White House also shared the same passport rendering on social media, describing it as the “PATRIOT PASSPORT.”The State Department, which had earlier announced that a commemorative passport featuring "custom artwork" would be available starting July 6, did not immediately comment on the latest development.In April, a State Department official said the Trump-themed passports would be offered only through in-person appointments in Washington and only "for as long as there is availability."Trump has increasingly sought to leave his personal imprint on government institutions. Banners featuring the president have been displayed outside several federal buildings, while the Treasury Department has said his signature will soon appear on the one-dollar bill.He also sought to add his name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, although a court later ruled that it should be removed.A State Department official had earlier told Fox News Digital that the new passport designs would be available to "any American citizen" applying for a passport during the rollout and would remain available for as long as supplies last.Trump's announcement on social media comes as the United States has introduced tighter screening measures for foreign visitors, requiring tourists and other nonimmigrants to comply with US laws and respect the country's institutions.The enhanced vetting coincides with the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which has drawn hundreds of thousands of international visitors to the United States for the tournament that concludes in July.If implemented, Trump would become the first sitting US president to be featured in American passports.Netizens reactOne of the X users said, “How long will this be around?” Another remarked, “I'm up for a renewal, how do I specify to get one of these?” “Thank God I just renewed mine already”, “Thank God mine’s not due for renewal anytime soon” were some other comments. A user asked, “Would there be an option to not have Trump in it?”“Wonderful. I hope this is the new design going forward and not just for this year’s 250th anniversary. I renew mine next year and what something better,” stated another user on X. A user joked, “I literally just renewed like a year ago… might have to see if I can redo now…”About the AuthorGarvit BhiraniGarvit Bhirani is a journalist based in Gurugram. He is a Deputy Chief Content Producer at LiveMint, where he covers national and international news stories, focusing on accuracy and compelling storytelling for readers. With a total of six years of experience in journalism, he has previously worked with Vaco Binary Semantics for Google, taking on the role of news curation lead, and reported from the field on health, education, and agriculture stories for 101reporters and News9. He has also served as a content editor for entertainment and news media organisations. Garvit holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and mass communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indrapra