Have you ever had that feeling of being punched in the gut when you look at your passport and realize it’s renewal time? It’s a slog under normal conditions, but if you’re in a hurry, it’s even worse because you have to jump through all sorts of hoops to get the process expedited.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio aims to change all that, and wants to upgrade the system to a simple online process that will get rid of the appointments, the endless paperwork, and the long wait times.
President Trump made the moves official with the release of an executive order Tuesday titled, appropriately enough, “STREAMLINING ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT SERVICES THROUGH AMERICA.GOV.”
He hailed Rubio, the man with seemingly 1,000 jobs, and credited him for getting ‘er done:
PRESIDENT TRUMP: As Secretary Rubio, who by the way is doing a fantastic job, will demonstrate, getting a passport once required appointments, paperwork, and months of waiting. Now, it's done in a few simple clicks. pic.twitter.com/bvsMYbRDZf
— Department of State (@StateDept) September 29, 2026
It’s all part of America.gov, the new website crafted by the administration which, as our Jennifer Oliver O’Connell reported Saturday, hopes to bring on "the golden age of the citizen experience" and become “a one-stop hub where citizens can find every government program and agency.”
If the expected early 2027 rollout of the passport overhaul is successful, applying for or renewing your documents won’t feel like getting a root canal anymore. You’ll do it all with your keyboard and mouse (or your smartphone):
SECRETARY RUBIO on https://t.co/pt9rQXC44r PASSPORTS: No printing forms, no drugstore hostage photo, no appointment, no line, no middleman that you're paying to do something that should be available to you. pic.twitter.com/VeUskLGA9U
— Department of State (@StateDept) September 29, 2026
Speaking at the White House Tuesday, Rubio said a passport isn't just a piece of paper: "A passport is more than just a travel document. It's an expression of the unbreakable bond between the nation and the citizen."
To back up that statement, Rubio said receiving your new document is going to be a much more profound experience going forward. Instead of finding a tattered envelope in your mailbox, you’re going to be presented with something special:
They used to ship the most important ID book an American owns like a late notice from the IRS.
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) September 29, 2026
Bent corners. Smeared ink. Envelope that looked like it lost a fight with a sorting machine.
Secretary Rubio just ended that.
New U.S. passports will arrive in gold-and-white… pic.twitter.com/wYeRZUJWAC
They used to ship the most important ID book an American owns like a late notice from the IRS.
Bent corners. Smeared ink. Envelope that looked like it lost a fight with a sorting machine.
Secretary Rubio just ended that.
New U.S. passports will arrive in gold-and-white packaging, the kind of presentation that says this is not junk. This is your name, your citizenship, and the seal of the United States.
Rubio: “For something as important and dignified as the U.S. passport, it will arrive the way you would expect it to.”
That’s not wrapping paper. That’s national self-respect.
A country that treats its passport like a receipt will be treated like a receipt. A country that delivers it like a treasure remembers what it is.
Exceptionalism is not a speech. Sometimes it is a box that finally looks like the country inside it.
While so many on the Left have been minimizing what it means to be a legal U.S. citizen, this administration is highlighting that it’s a profound honor and should be treated as such.
I almost look forward to my next renewal date.