‘This is not patriotism’: Outrage at Donald Trump’s face on new passports

By David Mouriquand Published on 29/04/2026 - 15:50 GMT+2 Share Comments Share Facebook Twitter Flipboard Send Reddit Linkedin Messenger Telegram VK Bluesky Threads Whatsapp

The US State Department is reportedly finalizing a "radical redesign" of the passport, which will feature a picture of Donald Trump from his second inaugural portrait. The plan and design have gone down like a lead balloon...

Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious, according to Oscar Wilde.

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While there’s nothing wrong with standing up for and being proud of your homeland, the notion of being a patriot has frequently been abused, used as a banner to justify heinous thought, statements and actions.

One such action that people are calling out is Donald Trump’s plans to add his face to new US passports.

The State Department is reportedly finalizing a "radical redesign" of the passport, which will feature a picture of Trump from his second inaugural portrait.

The White House also posted about the planned passports.

The caption for the post? "Patriot passport unlocked."

With an all-American bald eagle emoji. Naturally.

A State Department official was quoted by CNN as saying that the passport featuring Trump’s face “will be the default passport out of the Washington Passport Agency when available” for people renewing their passports in person.

They added: “Online options or other locations will maintain existing passport design.”

As you can imagine, this newest display of so-called “patriotism” has been making the rounds online, and the general consensus seems to be: "No thanks, let’s focus on more pressing priorities instead" / "I don’t want to see Trump’s face on my passport".

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Mike Levin, US representative for California’s 49th congressional district, summed things up by referencing the fact that Trump is also trying to get his face on coins and bank notes. He writes: “No sitting president has ever done this. Coins, park passes, battleships, and now your passport. The man cannot find a surface he will not slap his name or face on. This is not patriotism. It is vanity.”

And if you’re curious to know what Oscar Wilde thought about vanity (we started with Wilde, we may as well conclude with him), pick up a copy of “The Importance of Being Earnest”.

Turn to Act 2. Jack to Algernon: “Your vanity is ridiculous, your conduct an outrage, and your presence in my garden utterly absurd.”

Judging by the comments online, a lot of people would like to be saying the very same thing to Trump.

Check out some of the comments below:

ETA: This summer. Just in time for the US' 250-year celebrations.

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