India, July 29 -- (By Jacques Hymans for the Conversation)

A slang term for cash money is "dead presidents." But now the very much alive President Donald Trump could appear on U.S. coins and banknotes, too.

Ever since Trump returned to power in 2025, his administration has put the president's face and name on all sorts of things, from federal buildings to national park passes. Putting him on the almighty dollar would be the crowning achievement of these efforts. After all, the value of physical U.S. currency in circulation today stands at over USD 2.46 trillion, an all-time high.

If a sitting president's portraits start appearing on U.S. currency, what would this change say about American political culture?

Treasury Secretary Scott Be...