Donald Trump has told the Senate’s top Democrat, Chuck Schumer, that he will unfreeze funds for major infrastructure projects in New York and New Jersey if Schumer supports renaming Dulles International Airport in Virginia and Penn Station in New York City after him, according to media reports.
The demand, first reported by Punchbowl News on Thursday, follows the president’s decision in October to halt $18bn in funding for a subway line expansion in New York and a new rail tunnel connecting the city to New Jersey. The freeze came during a 43-day government shutdown in which Schumer, who represents New York, played a major role.
A spokesman for Schumer did not respond to a request for comment. Trump, who is ineligible for another term, has sought to emblazon his name on government buildings and websites since taking office, including the Kennedy Center and the US Institute for Peace. It is unclear if such changes are legal.
Republican congressman Guy Reschenthaler introduced a measure in 2024 to rename Washington DC’s main international airport “Donald J Trump International Airport”, while Addison McDowell proposed a similar bill last year. Neither progressed. The president has also pushed for “Trump Accounts” – tax-advantaged investment accounts for young people – and launched TrumpRX.com, a government website for discounted prescription drugs.
Trump is reportedly planning a 250ft arch across the river from Washington DC that would dwarf the Lincoln Memorial.
