Last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio previewed a new U.S. passport redesign for 2028 featuring President Donald Trump’s likeness on the inside cover—as commercial passport services told Forbes the president’s image “appears to be non-negotiable.”

On Sept. 29, Rubio’s preview of the new standard U.S. passport displayed artwork featuring Trump’s image on the blue book’s inside cover.

A State Department spokesperson declined to confirm the redesigned U.S. passport would include the president’s image, instead sharing, “President Trump’s image is featured on the so-called Patriot Passport commemorating America’s 250th anniversary, available while supplies last.”

The Trump image on the passport Rubio previewed “appears to be non-negotiable,” in contrast with the optional Patriot Passport, David Alwadish, founder and CEO of ItsEasy.com , a 50-year-old firm providing passport and visa services, said in a statement.

“My gut feeling is that the party in power in the next presidential term will determine whether this new Trump photo is short-lived or limited edition, as it will almost certainly be mandated for change by the next controlling party,” Alwadish said.

How To Avoid Trump’s Image In Your Passport

Anyone who explicitly does not want the president’s image on their passport “probably has a narrow window to apply,” Alwadish said. “We won’t know if [the government will] mandate that every passport issued as of a specific date must have the new design, regardless of leftover inventory.”

What To Know About The ‘Flight Of The Eagle’ Passport

Speaking last week at an event introducing America.gov, a new AI-powered government website, Rubio unveiled the new passport design, which will replace the standard passport with a single 38-page book containing artwork illustrating 250 years of American history—from the American Revolution to space exploration milestones. The new blue book will feature a larger, “more gold” seal on the front cover. Flipping the passport’s pages quickly will make an image of a bald eagle appear to flap its wings and fly above the historical images. Unlike traditional passport shipping, in which the blue book arrives in a plain, unmarked envelope, the new passport will arrive in a sleek white box, which prompted The Daily Show’s Jordan Klepper to joke , “Why are you doing this like an Apple product launch?”

How Is This Different From The ‘Patriot Passport’?

The limited-edition “Patriot Passport” commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary is only available to those who apply in person . Applicants must schedule an appointment at any of the more than two dozen passport centers listed on the State Department’s website. “No one gets that passport without specially requesting it, so there is no risk of getting that passport unexpectedly,” Alwadish told Forbes. “However, when the State Department makes the new 2028 passport design permanent, the passport will no longer be subject to choice.” Alwadish added he believes most of his customers understand the commemorative passport is optional. “This is the first time I have ever had customers come to me and say, ‘I want the Trump passport,’ or ‘I don’t want the Trump passport, make sure I don’t get it.’” Alwadish said. “And I’ve had to say, ‘Don’t worry, it’s voluntary,’ as it’s limited-edition. However, the 2028 passport won’t be.” Trump’s approval rating has dropped to 39%, meaning he is less popular now than he was before the 2018 midterms and less popular than President Joe Biden before the 2022 midterms, according to a CBS/YouGov poll .

‘Patriot Passports’ With Trump’s Image Are Hard To Get—But His Supporters Show ‘Incredible Enthusiasm’ (Forbes)