By Laurie Baron in San Diego
The State Department announced it is issuing a limited number of passports commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution and bearing an image of Donald Trump’s grimaced face. Exercising more restraint than he did last month, Trump decided against using his infamous AI post of him as Dr. Jesus curing the sick.
Those obtaining these special passports should be aware of restrictions spelled out in the commemorative passports which will affect their foreign travel. They will contain an insert instructing American tourists and foreign border agents on where travel is permissible. The first caveat bans Americans from entering any country whose leaders have criticized Trump about tariffs or his wars of choice. It waives the need to procure visas and show passports when going to friendly nations like North Korea and Russia, or as Trump calls them the Axis of Fellow Dictators. Americans can still visit Ukraine, but only if its border agents thank each of them for all the support the United States has given Ukraine.
Other images will adorn the Trump passports. Above Trump’s visage, “In Don We Trust” will be emblazoned. The painting of Frances Scott Key on the back cover of the passport has been replaced by John Trumbull’s “Declaration of Independence” to emphasize that the United States doesn’t have to heed anything England wants, particularly when its king lectures Congress about subversive ideas like an independent judiciary, separation of powers, and checks and balances.
Finally, the new passports will have an AI chip which detects if the skin color of its holders is not white or if the language they are speaking is foreign. In either case it alerts ICE of their location so the agency can arrest and deport them. When this happens, the passports are programmed to self-destruct so the only places their holders can go are the countries ICE sends them.
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Laurie Baron, retired from San Diego State University, is a professor emeritus of history.