On June 26, US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social an image of a new US passport design, accompanied by the message, "The new American passport, with the message 'Welcome, but behave appropriately'".

The design showcases Trump with a stern expression, his fists clenched on the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, with his signature below. The background features the full text of the US Declaration of Independence. An adjacent page displays a painting depicting the signing of the Declaration of Independence by the US Founding Fathers in 1776.

US passport design posted by President Donald Trump on June 26. Photo: Truth Social/ Donald J Trump

The White House also posted the same passport design with the inscription "Patriotic Passport" to mark the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding.

Earlier this year, the US Department of State also unveiled a commemorative passport design featuring its own artistic elements, including a different image of Trump, announcing its release from July 6. The agency has not yet responded to inquiries regarding whether the version Trump posted is the official design.

In April, a Department of State official stated that passport designs featuring Trump's portrait would only be issued to individuals applying in person in Washington, and would be available until the limited supply runs out.

Trump has recently left a strong personal mark on government institutions, such as banners featuring the President's image displayed outside some public buildings, while the US Department of the Treasury announced his signature would soon appear on the 1 USD banknote.

Passport design unveiled by the US Department of State earlier this year. Photo: US Department of State

Trump's name was also previously added to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, before a court ruling ordered its removal. If the passport plan is implemented, he would become the first sitting US president to appear on US citizens' travel documents.

The inside front cover of the current US passport features an image from a painting of Francis Scott Key on the morning after the British bombardment of Fort McHenry. This battle inspired him to compose the song that later became the US national anthem. Several lines from the national anthem are also printed on this page of the passport.

Huyen Le (According to AFP, CNN)