Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveiled a redesigned U.S. passport on Sept. 29, 2026. Its cover features a larger, more prominent Great Seal, and Rubio called it the 2028 U.S. passport. The account documents a change in the passport’s national imagery, but it offers no information about the redesign’s cost, the workers who produced it, or any financial beneficiaries.
The Design on Display
The new cover places “United States of America” at the top. Rubio said the words were now “exactly where they belong: first, right on top.” During the unveiling, he emphasized their placement and the enlarged seal.
Rubio described the Great Seal as larger, more prominent and “more gold.” These are the visible changes he presented. The report doesn’t describe other changes to the passport or explain how anyone developed the redesign.
The account says an eagle appears to fly as holders flip through the pages. Rubio pointed to the effect in his remarks: “Watch the eagle as you flip through the pages. It flies. Now, I think that’s pretty good.” The report doesn’t explain how the image moves or how anyone made the feature.
What Rubio Said
“There it is. It looks even better in person,” Rubio said, followed by applause. He then called it “the 2028 U.S. passport” and pointed to the country’s name at the top, the seal’s size and prominence, its gold coloring, and the eagle animation.
Rubio presented the redesign through its national symbols and visual effects. His quoted comments don’t address what it will cost to produce the passports, who will manufacture them, or whether the redesign changes passport access or services. The account provides no answers to those questions.
The Limits of the Record
The report identifies Rubio as the official who unveiled the design and gives the date as Sept. 29, 2026. It credits the video to Alisa Shodiyev Kaff. It names no designers, contractors, passport workers, unions, or other people involved in producing or distributing the document.
The account gives no cost figure, contract, production plan, or revenue information. It also reports no worker response, union position, organized opposition, or proposal concerning the redesign. The available details establish what Rubio showed and how he described it, but not who will gain financially from production or how the change will affect workers or passport holders.
The stated features are limited to a larger, more prominent, gold Great Seal on the cover, the country name at the top, and an eagle that appears to fly as holders turn the pages. The report provides no further information about the passport’s materials, manufacturing, or distribution. Rubio’s unveiling and remarks remain the only reported account of the redesign.