The United States’ newest limited edition passport will say “welcome, but be good” on it. However, I can’t actually make sense of why it would say that? I’m not even trying to be political here, and I’m trying to remain balanced, but can anyone help me make sense of this?
Trump unveils updated “patriotic passport” design
Several weeks ago, President Trump unveiled plans for a “patriotic passport.” The limited edition passport is intended to commemorate the United States’ 250th anniversary, and it prominently features Trump in front of the Declaration of Independence.
Below is what plans for the passport looked like several weeks ago.
Trump has now taken to his Truth Social platform to unveil the updated design, and there are indeed some changes. It appears that Trump’s signature is no longer in gold, and Trump is standing in front of the Declaration of Independence, rather than it just showing his face.
But here’s the part I don’t get — the one thing Trump specifically highlights about the new passport is how it says “Welcome, but be good!”
This is widely being picked up by other media sources, as if that phrase somehow makes sense, but I can’t actually figure out the logic!
Why is “welcome, but be good” written on a passport?
Can someone come up with a theory as to why a United States issued passport would have “welcome, but be good” written on it?
One would assume that message would be intended for immigrants and visitors, welcoming them, but telling them to behave. But this is a passport issued to United States citizens — those aren’t people who are being welcomed to the United States, and they aren’t people that have to “be good” (even if you’re “bad,” you go to jail, but it’s not like you get deported).
So is Trump instead welcoming us to foreign countries with our US passports, and telling us to behave there?That doesn’t strike me as a very “America First” agenda, so I wouldn’t expect that from him.
And I’ve officially run out of ideas, so if anyone can chime in with what their best theory is, I’d certainly appreciate it. I’d assume that Trump and his administration understand that US passports are issued to US citizens. I could understand this if that message were somehow written on US visas issued to foreigners, but that’s not what’s happening here.
Bottom line
Trump’s new “patriotic passport” will soon be available, to commemorate the United States’ 250th birthday. It includes a picture of Trump in front of the Declaration of Independence, and Trump also claims that it will have the phrase “welcome, but be good” written on it.
That literally makes zero sense to me, but I can’t imagine they’re putting something on a passport that makes zero sense, so can someone take a stab at this?
What is “welcome, but be good” supposed to mean?
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