President Donald Trump has demanded that two of the United States’ most prominent transport hubs be renamed in his honor before he agrees to release $16 billion in frozen federal funding for a major rail project linking New York City and New Jersey, according to people familiar with the discussions.
Trump made the proposal directly to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, telling the senior Democrat that funding for the long-delayed Gateway Project would be unfrozen if Congress approved renaming New York’s Penn Station and Washington’s Dulles International Airport after him. The project, which includes construction of a new passenger rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River, is considered critical to the rail network in the US northeast.
The White House froze the funding in October, with budget director Russell Vought saying at the time that the move was intended to ensure federal money was not spent on what he described as “unconstitutional” diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The freeze coincided with the beginning of the longest government shutdown in US history, and the funds have remained withheld even after Congress reached a deal to reopen the government in November.
Schumer, a New York senator who has been lobbying for the release of the money, rejected Trump’s offer, according to ABC News. Without an agreement, funding for the project was expected to run out on Friday, threatening further delays to a scheme that has already faced years of setbacks.
Work on the Gateway Project is already under way and includes plans to build roughly nine miles of new passenger rail track, including a second tunnel under the Hudson River to supplement existing, aging infrastructure. Supporters say the project is essential to preventing catastrophic disruptions to commuter and intercity rail services along the busy corridor.
The move is the latest in a series of efforts by Trump to attach his name to major American institutions and initiatives. In December, the board of the Kennedy Center voted to rename the venue the Donald J Trump John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a decision that has since become the subject of a legal challenge. Around the same time, the US Institute of Peace was renamed in Trump’s honor, with his name added prominently to the building.
Other recent examples include the announcement of a new guided-missile warship described as a Trump-class battleship, as well as government-backed initiatives such as Trump Accounts for children, the TrumpRx prescription drug platform, and the proposed Trump Gold Card investment visa.
The naming push has prompted backlash on Capitol Hill. A group of senators has introduced legislation that would ban federal buildings from being named after sitting presidents. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont criticized Trump’s actions as “arrogant” and “illegal,” saying the proposal was designed to curb what he described as excessive personal glorification by a serving president.
As the standoff over the Gateway Project continues, the funding freeze has become another flashpoint in the broader political battle between the White House and congressional Democrats, with billions of dollars in infrastructure investment hanging in the balance.
