President Donald Trump has demanded that Penn Station in New York and Dulles International Airport in Washington DC be renamed after him in exchange for releasing frozen federal funding for a major infrastructure project connecting New York and New Jersey, multiple sources said.
The administration halted funding for the $16 billion Gateway project at the start of the federal government shutdown last fall. The shutdown ended in November, and full appropriations passed this week, yet the administration has not released the money.
Trump made the renaming demand to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, according to NBC News. A source close to Schumer told reporters that there is nothing to trade.
The source said the president stopped the funding, and he can restart the funding with a snap of his fingers.
The $16.1 billion initiative calls for constructing a new rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River, linking New Jersey and New York. After years of setbacks and complications, the effort gained momentum in 2024 when President Joe Biden’s administration committed an additional $6.9 billion in funding.
White House budget director Russell Vought halted infrastructure spending to ensure it would not support what he considered unconstitutional DEI-related policies. In response, New York and New Jersey have filed lawsuits seeking to compel the administration to release the funds that had already been approved.
Leaders of the Gateway project have cautioned that construction will soon have to stop if financing does not resume. Such a shutdown would result in thousands of construction workers losing their jobs. The project’s remaining funds are expected to run out on Friday.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat who serves on the Appropriations Committee, condemned the proposal Thursday. She called the proposal ridiculous in a statement.
Gillibrand said the naming rights are not tradable as part of any negotiations. She cited Trump’s narcissism and demanded that the president unfreeze the project and all others his administration has been holding hostage.
Representative Jerry Nadler also criticized Trump’s proposal. The Guardian first reported the controversy on Thursday, February 5, 2026.
Trump has sought to include his name on several landmarks and other initiatives since returning to office. He launched a website Thursday that offered lower-cost prescription drugs, which is called TrumpRX. The president also proposed a $5 million pathway to permanent residence and eventual citizenship that he called the Trump Gold Cards.
In December, Trump affixed his name to the U.S. Institute of Peace, an agency his own administration had previously dismantled. That same month, the board he selected approved adding his name to the Kennedy Center, drawing objections from the Kennedy family. Reports also suggest Trump is planning to construct a 250-foot arch on the opposite side of the river from Washington, DC.
In October, the president halted an $18 billion funding freeze for a major subway line expansion in New York City as well as the new rail tunnel connecting the city to New Jersey. The funding freeze was announced on the first day of a 43-day government shutdown in which Schumer, who represents New York, played a major role.
The Gateway tunnel project represents one of the most critical infrastructure initiatives in the Northeast corridor. The existing tunnel carries hundreds of thousands of commuters daily between New Jersey and New York. Transportation experts have long warned that a failure of the current tunnel would be catastrophic for the regional economy.
Penn Station in New York serves as one of the busiest transportation hubs in the Western Hemisphere. The station has faced persistent criticism for overcrowding, deteriorating facilities, and poor passenger experience. Despite its central role in regional transportation, Penn Station consistently ranks among the least popular major transit facilities in the country.
Dulles International Airport in Washington DC serves as a major international gateway to the nation’s capital. The facility handles millions of passengers annually and serves as a hub for both domestic and international travel.
The practice of naming federal facilities after sitting presidents is highly unusual in American political tradition. Typically, such honors are bestowed posthumously or well after a president has left office. The naming of major infrastructure after political figures generally requires legislative action rather than executive decree.
Trump’s approach to affixing his name to government properties and programs marks a departure from recent presidential norms. Previous administrations have generally avoided associating their names with federal facilities or programs during their time in office, viewing such actions as potentially self-aggrandizing.
The appropriations process for major infrastructure projects typically involves multiple layers of congressional approval and executive implementation. Once funds have been appropriated by Congress and signed into law by the president, executive branch agencies are generally obligated to disburse those funds according to the terms established by legislation. Withholding appropriated funds can raise legal questions about the executive branch’s authority to impound congressionally allocated money.
The standoff over the Gateway funding comes at a time when infrastructure investment has become a bipartisan priority in Washington, though disagreements persist over implementation and oversight. The Biden administration’s infrastructure legislation provided significant funding for transportation projects across the country, including the Gateway tunnel.
Palm Beach International Airport has also been proposed for renaming to include Trump’s name. The White House declined to comment on the renaming demand. Schumer’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
