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Patriot Passports Go Nationwide
The U.S. State Department said it will begin issuing nationwide limited-edition commemorative passports featuring President Donald Trump’s likeness in August, expanding access beyond the Washington, D.C., passport office.
“In response to overwhelming demand, the State Department is making an additional 250,000 copies”
The department cited “overwhelming demand” and said it is making an additional 250,000 “Patriot Passport” documents available to the public.
The Hill reported that Americans who previously could only receive the passports at the department’s passport office in Washington, D.C., can now schedule an appointment via phone at 24 other offices across the country.
ANI said the rollout will reach the department’s 27 passport agencies nationwide starting next month, with single-day special events beginning August 8 at passport agencies including Centennial, Colorado; Chicago; Dallas; Detroit; New Orleans; and Stamford, Connecticut.
Design Details and Access
The passports are described as featuring Trump’s inaugural portrait on one page and a painting of the founding fathers at the signing of the Declaration of Independence on another, with the inside page showing Trump’s likeness above the text of the Declaration of Independence.
The Hill said the travel document includes depictions of Mount Rushmore, with rock carvings of the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt, and it also noted that quotes from deceased presidents are inscribed within U.S. passports.
AP reported that the passports are the latest instance of Trump having his name and likeness added to buildings, documents and other highly visible tributes, and it said the stern portrait is emblazoned on an inside page.
CNN added that Americans will not automatically receive the commemorative passport and can apply for an in-person appointment at a “250th Anniversary commemorative passport application event,” while those who do not want it can apply online, mail in their application, apply at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad, or apply at an acceptance facility like a library or post office.
Demand, Events, and Political Fallout
The State Department said the expansion is meant to respond to public interest, and CNN quoted a spokesperson saying they “have been flooded – by phone, on social media, and in-person at events like the Great American State Fair.”
“have been flooded – by phone, on social media, and in-person at events like the Great American State Fair”
CNN also reported that the spokesperson claimed “over 30,000 of Americans” had phoned the passport call center since July 4 seeking a chance to apply for the Patriot Passport.
The Daily Wire said spokesman Tommy Pigott told it that “Americans have shown tremendous enthusiasm for the America 250 commemorative passport,” and it described the rollout as expanding access nationwide.
The Daily Wire also said Democrat lawmakers launched a formal inquiry into Secretary of State Marco Rubio over “politicization” of the passports, and it quoted Senator Chris Van Hollen writing, “It’s a scary day in America when an actual king behaves more democratically than the president of the United States.”
