Jack White, the acclaimed musician and frontman of The White Stripes, has publicly criticized former President Donald Trump following the announcement that Trump will be the first sitting U.S. President to have his signature appear on American currency. White’s rebuke, delivered via a lengthy Instagram post on Friday, didn’t stop at the signature itself, but extended to a pointed jab at a decades-old running gag about Trump’s hand size.
The move to include Trump’s signature on U.S. Banknotes, confirmed by the Treasury Department in April, will witness it appear alongside that of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Notably, the position of U.S. Treasurer will be removed from the currency, a change that has drawn some scrutiny. According to reporting from The Fresh York Times, the decision is largely symbolic, a gesture of personal branding by the former president. White, though, sees it as something far less benign.
“Oh how humble!” White wrote in his post, which quickly circulated online. “But why stop there donnie? Why don’t you use your small hands to sign into law that your oh so stern orange face appears on the front of the hundred dollar bill as well?” The reference to “small hands” is a longstanding and often-repeated criticism leveled at Trump, originating with a 1980s report by Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter, who famously dubbed Trump a “short-fingered vulgarian.” The insult reportedly became a sensitive topic for Trump, with Carter receiving numerous photos of Trump’s hands circled in gold Sharpie over the years.
White’s criticism extended beyond the vanity of the signature addition, taking aim at what he perceives as a broader pattern of unchecked power. “You might as well, since Congress and the American people (and to an extent, the rest of the world) are all just letting you do whatever you want to anyways, so go ahead! Invade Cuba next? Sure! Go ahead, nobody’s stopping you,” he wrote, a statement reflecting a sense of frustration with the political landscape. The comment alludes to ongoing geopolitical tensions and a perceived lack of accountability.
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A History of Criticism
White has been a vocal critic of Trump for years, consistently using his platform to express his disapproval of the former president’s policies and rhetoric. Earlier this month, he highlighted what he saw as Trump’s hypocrisy in a post regarding international conflict, writing, “Behold the leader of the ‘Board of Peace.’” This latest critique, however, feels particularly pointed, linking Trump’s actions to a long-standing personal insecurity.
The Signature on Currency: A Precedent
The decision to allow a sitting president’s signature on U.S. Currency is unprecedented. Even as presidents have long been featured on currency – George Washington on the one-dollar bill, Abraham Lincoln on the five – their signatures have not typically appeared. The Treasury Department’s announcement, released on April 25, stated that the signature is intended to honor Trump’s service. The move has sparked debate, with some questioning the appropriateness of using national currency for personal branding.
The “Small Hands” Narrative
The jab at Trump’s hand size is a reference to a decades-old narrative. As reported by ABC News, the “small hands” allegation originated with Graydon Carter in the 1980s. Carter’s initial assessment reportedly stemmed from a source who claimed Trump measured his hands against those of others and consistently came up short. The remark stuck, becoming a recurring theme in political commentary and a source of apparent irritation for Trump himself.
White concluded his Instagram post with a darkly humorous suggestion, acknowledging its illegality. “Wouldn’t it be funny if someone started a campaign to black magic marker line out his name every time you receive a new banknote? I consider that’s against the law to deface U.S. Currency, so I would never suggest that becoming a nationwide campaign,” he wrote, “but is everyone allowed to break the law when they feel like it or just donnie?” Defacing U.S. Currency is, in fact, a federal crime, punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment, according to the U.S. Secret Service.
The addition of Trump’s signature to U.S. Currency is expected to begin appearing on new notes later this year. The Treasury Department has not announced a specific timeline, but officials have indicated that the change will be phased in gradually. Consumers should expect to see the new signatures on bills entering circulation in the coming months.
Here’s a developing story. Further updates will be provided as they become available.
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