Republican lawmaker proposes bill to change Benjamin Franklin on $100 bill to Donald Trump

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Removing Benjamin Franklin from the $100 bill and replacing the Founding Father's image with one of President Donald Trump is what a Republican lawmaker is proposing.

Rep. Brandon Gill, of Texas' 26th Congressional District, introduced the "Golden Age Act of 2025" bill on the House floor on Monday. According to Gill's news release, this legislation would "require that all $100 bills feature a picture of Donald J. Trump on the front face of the note."

“President Trump could be enjoying his golden years golfing and spending time with his family. Instead, he took a bullet for this country and is now working overtime to secure our border, fix our uneven trade relationship with the rest of the world, make America energy independent again, and put America first by ending useless foreign aid,” Gill said in the release.

“There has been no one who has done more to bring America into the golden age than President Trump. Featuring him on the $100 bill is a small way to honor all he will accomplish these next four years.”

The Secretary of Treasury has until no later than Dec. 31, 2026, to release the preliminary design of the $100 note "prominently featuring Trump" to the public, Gill's bill says. If passed, the legislation would require all $100 bills after Dec. 31, 2028, to feature a picture of Trump on the front face of the note, according to the congressman.

Rep. Troy Nehls, of Texas's 22nd congressional district, is the original co-sponsor for Gill's bill. The legislation has a long way to go, as it has to be passed by the House and the Senate before being signed by the president.

Who is Rep. Brandon Gill?

Born on a U.S. Air Force base, Gill grew up on a thousand-acre cattle ranch outside of Abilene, Texas, according to the 31-year-old's bio.

"For as long as I can remember, I was working cows, building fences, driving tractors and backhoes, plowing fields, and slinging hay bales," his bio reads. "The work was difficult, but being part of a family business that involved long days and hard labor taught me that great things don’t come easy. It was the type of work too many in Washington look down upon, and the people I grew up with are the Americans too often forgotten by our elite class."

After graduating from Dartmouth, Gill became an investment banker on Wall Street and then worked as an analyst for a global hedge fund, according to his bio. He would ultimately leave his finance career to launch DC Enquirer, a conservative "America First news outlet."

"For many people, I was living the American Dream. I was working in one of the largest, most successful hedge funds in the world, and rising fast in the industry," Gill said. "Yet, the call for service and duty to my country came."

Will Rep. Brandon Gill's bill pass?

It is unclear how far Gill's bill will get but nothing is out of the realm of possibility, especially considering that Republicans secured control of the Senate and House in the 2024 election.

Gill's bill would change something that began in 1914 when the first $100 Federal Reserve Note was issued with a portrait of Franklin on it, according to the History Channel. It is also important to keep in mind that only about 6% of legislation introduced in Congress actually passes, Emory Law says.

"Many bills are introduced with no intention or expectation of actually passing," the Atlanta, Georgia-based law school said. "Some bills are introduced purely for reassurance of constituents or other special interest groups."

Gill's proposal to put Trump on the $100 bill is not the only attempt to memorialize the current president. In late January, Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida introduced a bill proposing to carve Trump into Mount Rushmore. Luna's announcement of the bill, which does not include any details on the timing or funding of the project, includes a rendering of Trump's figure in stone next to Lincoln's.

Contributing: Kinsey Crowley, Paste BN.