Conservation group sues to remove Trump's face from 2026 national park pass
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The Interior Department's 2026 America the Beautiful National Park pass design, featuring George Washington and President Trump. Photo: U.S. Department of the Interior
An environmental group is suing the Trump administration over plans to feature President Trump's face on some of next year's national park passes.
The big picture: It's the administration's latest effort to suffuse Trump's name and likeness into everyday life, blurring the lines between governing and self-promotion.
- The suit comes just one week after Trump announced free entry to national parks on his birthday, which is also Flag Day, while removing the perk from Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth.
- The administration also rebranded the U.S. Institute of Peace to the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace earlier this month, honoring his commitment to global order.
Driving the news: The Interior Department unveiled the 2026 America the Beautiful pass last month, featuring a side-by-side image of George Washington and Trump to commemorate the 250th anniversary of America's founding.
- The Center for Biological Diversity, which filed the federal suit in the District of Columbia on Wednesday, claims that placing the president's face on the pass violates federal law.
- The Interior Department, USDA, National Park Service and officials of those departments are named in the suit.
- Per the 2004 Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, the pass must feature the winner of an annual photo competition hosted by the National Park Foundation — a program that has generated millions of dollars for public land management.
The National Park Foundation's competition rules explicitly state that the 2026 pass picture must "capture a moment that has been experienced on America's federal public lands and waters." which is reflected in this year's winning photo of Montana's Glacier National Park.
- The conservation group argues that Akshay Joshi's winning photo, which highlights mountain peaks and alpine waters of Montana's Glacier National Park, should be featured on the 2026 pass — following the precedent of the past 12 years, per the suit.
What they're saying: "Blotting out the majesty of America's national parks with a closeup of his own face is Trump's crassest, most ego-driven action yet," Kierán Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement.
- "The national parks are not a personal branding opportunity. They're the pride and joy of the American people," Suckling added. "America the Beautiful means wild rivers and majestic mountains, not a headshot of a bloated, fragile, attention-seeking ego."
- "We will not comment on pending litigation," a USDA spokesperson told Axios, referring comment to the Department of Justice's Office of Public Affairs.
- The other defendants in the lawsuit did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
Of note: The administration also raised the price of national park passes for international tourists last month as part of an "America-first" initiative aimed at keeping prices more affordable for U.S. residents.
