Americans push back against Trump's plan to change dollar design
US President Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
The initiative by US President Donald Trump to place his signature on American banknotes has triggered mixed reactions across the US, according to a YouGov survey, Axios reports.
Thus, according to a new survey by YouGov, in which 18,663 adult Americans participated on March 30, the majority of citizens do not support the idea of replacing the traditional signature of the Treasury Secretary with the autograph of the sitting president.
Public opinion is quite clear: 60% of respondents opposed the appearance of the president's signature on banknotes. Of these, 48% categorically do not support such an initiative, while another 11% are rather against it.
At the same time, 23% of respondents support this idea, while 19% of Americans were unable to determine their position.
Interestingly, disapproval turned out to be almost universal: it is observed across different age, social, and ethnic groups. The greatest skepticism was recorded among residents of the US Midwest and Black Americans.
Generational gap
The survey also showed a certain age trend. Thus, the older the respondents, the more critical they were of the idea.
Among Americans aged 65 and older, more than half opposed the changes. Meanwhile, young people aged 18–29 treat the proposal more calmly — although even among them, supporters are not much more numerous.
At the same time, the study revealed a rather unexpected fact: many Americans do not even know whose signature is currently on the dollars. 13% of respondents mistakenly believe that the banknotes already bear the president’s signature. 28% of respondents are not sure at all whose autograph they see on the money.
What authorities propose
Currently, US banknotes traditionally feature the signature of the Treasury Secretary. At present, it is the signature of an official of the US financial department. In the proposed initiative, it is planned to replace it with the autograph of President Donald Trump.
The US Department of the Treasury explains the idea by a symbolic date — the 250th anniversary of US independence, which will be celebrated in 2026. According to the plan, the new banknotes could become a commemorative symbol of the historic event.
Critics speak of political PR
Opponents of the initiative believe that it is not so much about the state's anniversary as about an attempt to personalize state symbols. They recall that commemorative souvenirs featuring the president have appeared before, including collectible coins. According to critics, the national currency should remain outside political experiments.
Why this may have little impact on Americans' lives
Experts point to another trend: the use of cash is rapidly declining in the US. According to the Federal Reserve, paper money is now used in only about 14% of all payments.
Instead, most Americans pay for purchases with bank cards or digital services, while keeping cash as a reserve. Therefore, even if the president's signature ever appears on dollars, a significant portion of citizens may simply never notice it, as paper money is increasingly less likely to end up in their wallets.
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