Democrats Slam Trump Over Dulles, Penn Station Renaming After Him/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Democrats erupted after reports that President Donald Trump floated renaming Dulles Airport and Penn Station after himself. The proposal was reportedly tied to releasing $16 billion in stalled funding for a major Northeast rail project. Democratic lawmakers called the idea extortionate and vowed to block it politically and legally.
Trump Renaming Proposal Sparks Backlash: Quick Looks
- Trump reportedly suggested renaming Dulles Airport and Penn Station
- Proposal tied to unfreezing $16 billion for Gateway Development Project
- Democrats accuse Trump of extortion and vanity politics
- Chuck Schumer rejected the proposal outright
- New York and New Jersey Democrats threaten legal action
- Republicans divided, with some openly supporting renaming effort
- Proposal fits broader Trump push to rename institutions after himself
Deep Look: Democrats Slam Trump Over Dulles, Penn Station Renaming After Him
WASHINGTON — House Democrats reacted with anger and disbelief Thursday after reports surfaced that President Donald Trump floated renaming Dulles International Airport and Penn Station after himself in exchange for releasing billions of dollars in frozen federal infrastructure funding.
According to multiple Democratic lawmakers, Trump administration officials raised the idea with Chuck Schumer, proposing that Congress approve the renaming in return for unfreezing roughly $16 billion for the Gateway Development Project, a critical rail tunnel and transit initiative linking New York and New Jersey.
Schumer rejected the proposal, and Democrats across both chambers quickly rallied behind his refusal.
Rep. Ritchie Torres, whose district would be impacted by the Gateway project, said Trump could not be trusted to honor any such agreement. Torres described the proposal as politically motivated and warned against yielding to what he characterized as shifting demands.
Rep. Rob Menendez, who represents the New Jersey side of the project, dismissed the idea outright and said he would vote no on any such deal. Menendez expressed confidence that New York and New Jersey would prevail in court as part of a new lawsuit aimed at restoring the frozen funding.
Lawmakers whose districts include the affected landmarks also pushed back sharply. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, who partially represents the area around Dulles Airport, accused the president of holding vital infrastructure hostage for personal branding.
He vowed to fight any effort to rename the airport, saying the proposal runs counter to the needs of Virginians and the broader public interest.
Rep. Jerry Nadler, whose district includes Penn Station, accused Trump of using federal power as leverage, calling the reported proposal another attempt to strong-arm lawmakers into symbolic concessions.
The controversy fits into a broader pattern since Trump returned to office last year. His administration and allies have repeatedly pushed to rename prominent American institutions and programs after him. Democrats voiced similar outrage late last year when the Kennedy Center board reportedly considered adding Trump’s name to the iconic arts institution.
Other recent moves include renaming the U.S. Institute of Peace after Trump, introducing legislation to rename Dulles Airport, proposing Trump’s image for U.S. currency, and branding a federal baby bond initiative as “Trump accounts.”
Republicans, however, were not unified in opposition. Rep. Riley Moore, a co-sponsor of legislation to rename Dulles Airport, welcomed the idea enthusiastically. He praised Trump’s leadership and said the president deserved the recognition.
Democrats argue the episode underscores a deeper concern about governance, warning that infrastructure funding should not be conditioned on symbolic gestures or political loyalty. As legal battles over the Gateway project funding move forward, party leaders say the renaming proposal has only hardened opposition and widened the partisan divide.
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