Trump's new US passport will feature the president's portrait inside and arrive in a gold presentation box from 2028

From the Newshound archive · first published 1 October 2026 · last updated 2 October 2026.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveiled a sweeping redesign of the American passport at Trump's America.gov event on 29 September, featuring a larger, more prominent Great Seal on the cover — 'mostly eagle, barely passport', according to one historian. For the first time in the document's history, a sitting president's portrait will appear on the interior pages, and the revamped booklet will be delivered in a white-and-gold presentation box from 2028. Rubio also announced that first-time applicants will be able to apply entirely online through America.gov from next year, with no paper forms or in-person appointments required.

Rubio described the cover change as 'more gold, more prominent', with the Great Seal dominating the new design.

The white-and-gold presentation box drew immediate backlash online, with critics calling it 'out of touch' amid rising living costs.

Online applicants will access the system via login.gov, submit a selfie as their passport photo and monitor their application digitally — 'no drugstore hostage photo, no line, no middleman,' Rubio said.