President Donald Trump is reportedly leveraging billions in federal funds to pursue the renaming of two iconic transportation hubs in his name. The proposal centers on Washington-Dulles International Airport and New York City’s Penn Station, with a $16 billion infrastructure project hanging in the balance.
Donald Trump shows interest in renaming two transportation hubs
According to reports from Punchbowl News, Trump has expressed interest in renaming Dulles Airport and Penn Station, tying the issue to the release of withheld Gateway Program funding. The $16 billion project is critical for expanding and renovating the Northeast Corridor rail line connecting New York and New Jersey. Trump initially froze these funds during a government shutdown last October, prompting lawsuits from both states.
The president reportedly approached Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on January 15 with a direct offer: support the name changes, and the Gateway funding would flow. Trump sought Schumer’s backing to rename Dulles as “Donald J. Trump International Airport” and to place his name on Penn Station. The movie will potentially replace the current Moynihan Train Hall designation, honoring the late New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan.
Schumer swiftly rejected the offer, with a source close to the senator stating, “There’s nothing to trade. The president stopped the funding and can restart the funding with a snap of his fingers… There’s no statutory need for Schumer to be involved here.” CNN confirmed Schumer declined, claiming he couldn’t facilitate the renaming.
The standoff prolongs uncertainty for the Gateway Tunnel Project, which faces indefinite suspension without federal support. This isn’t the first time Donald Trump has sought to rename prominent institutions. His allies previously facilitated renaming the Kennedy Center and the U.S. Institute of Peace through exterior lettering. However, securing congressional approval for renaming federal transportation hubs represents a more significant institutional challenge.
The locations Trump targets are deeply symbolic. Dulles Airport, named for Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, serves as a major gateway to the nation’s capital. Penn Station’s Moynihan Train Hall honors a former colleague whom Schumer once eulogized as “truly a giant.”
