Trump Administration Puts Plan for Harriet Tubman $20 Bill on Ice [View all]

Source: US News & World Report/Reuters

July 7, 2026, at 4:59 p.m.


WASHINGTON, July 7 (Reuters) - The ⁠U.S. ⁠Treasury Department is no longer ⁠planning to put anti-slavery crusader Harriet Tubman on a $20 bill, Treasury Secretary ​Scott Bessent has told Spectrum News. “We are not at present,” Bessent said when asked in a Monday interview ‌if Treasury was still planning to ‌move ahead with the decade-old plan. Bessent did not elaborate, and a Treasury spokesperson declined ⁠to comment beyond ⁠Bessent's remark.

The Obama administration announced in 2016 that Tubman, who was born ​into slavery in the early 1820s and went on to help hundreds of slaves escape, would replace seventh U.S. President Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill. Then-Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said the decision was the result of thousands ​of responses received from Americans.

Tubman would have been the first African American on the face ⁠of ⁠U.S. paper currency.

During his first ⁠presidential campaign, Donald ​Trump, who has since sought to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusioninitiatives, called the move to ​replace Jackson with Tubman "pure political ⁠correctness."He had proposed putting her on the $2 bill or another bill, and no progress was made on the plan during Trump's first presidency.

Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2026-07-07/trump-administration-puts-plan-for-harriet-tubman-20-bill-on-ice