NOT AT ALL BEAUTIFUL

Trump Plot to Put His Favorite President on National Park Pass Turns Ugly

A conservation group wants to shield nature lovers from the “attention-seeking” president’s headshot on a national park pass.

A wildlife organization is asking a federal court to step in to protect national park visitors from a closeup of President Donald Trump’s face.

The Center for Biological Diversity alleges that the Trump administration sneakily swapped in a portrait of Trump to replace an image of Glacier National Park on an annual pass granting access to national parks.

Trump, 79, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, 69, unveiled a redesign last month billed as a “modernized” overhaul of national parks access with “bold, patriotic” artwork. The Department of Interior also announced “America-first” pricing and new categories of “Resident” and “Nonresident” passes, starting Jan. 1, 2026.

In a complaint filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., the Center for Biological Diversity argues the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act requires the annual pass to feature a public photo-contest winner—which this year is a Glacier shot—rather than a presidential portrait, and forbids creating new national pass types beyond those specified by Congress. The suit seeks to vacate and enjoin the 2026 rollout.

“America the Beautiful means wild rivers and majestic mountains, not a headshot of a bloated, fragile, attention-seeking ego. There’s nothing beautiful about that,” the organization said in announcing the move.

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Trump was accused of “blotting out the majesty of America’s national parks with a closeup of his own face.” The organization also accuses the administration of turning a public-lands education tool into a partisan platform.

Designs included in the filing show the winning Glacier image and, separately, the government’s proposed 2026 “Resident” pass bearing portraits of George Washington and Trump.

The complaint reproduces both images and a lineup of the 12 prior passes, highlighting how the Trump card departs from past practice.

Announcing the overhaul on Nov. 25, the Department of Interior said it would debut digital passes, new artwork, and charge $80 for U.S. residents and $250 for non-residents, with a $100 per-person fee for non-resident entry at 11 marquee parks without a pass.

The department also shifted free-admission days—ending waivers on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth and adding Trump’s birthday/Flag Day, with the department framing the changes as a way to honor America’s 250th anniversary.

The group says the Glacier photo was demoted to a new “Nonresident” pass while the president’s image was placed on the primary card.

No explanation was given by the Department of Interior as to why Trump’s portrait had replaced the contest winner on the principal pass, according to the lawsuit.

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The case—filed against Burgum, the Department of Interior, the National Park Service, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, 53, and the Department of Agriculture—asks a judge to set aside the redesign and bar distribution until the law is followed.

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said: “Instead of filing frivolous lawsuits, this leftist group should be thanking President Trump for enhancing opportunities for Americans to enjoy our beautiful national parks.”

The Daily Beast has also contacted the Department of the Interior for comment.

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Tom LatchemLead Global Correspondent

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