President Donald Trump has proposed renaming Penn Station in New York City, New York, and Dulles International Airport in Virginia after him. This comes as a condition for the release of frozen federal funding for the substantial Gateway project, which links New York and New Jersey.
The funding for the $16 billion Gateway project was put on hold during the federal government shutdown in October 2025. Although the shutdown ended in November, and total appropriations were passed in early February 2026, the administration has yet to release the funds.
President Trump communicated his request for renaming to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, stating that he could restart the funding “with a snap of his fingers.”
The ambitious $16 billion scheme includes building a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River, connecting New Jersey and New York. After multiple delays and issues, the project gained traction in 2024 when an additional $6.9 billion in funding was committed by President Joe Biden’s administration.
Russell Vought, the White House budget director, stopped infrastructure spending to avoid supporting what he perceived as unconstitutional DEI-related policies. In response, New York and New Jersey have initiated lawsuits to force the administration to release the already approved funds.
If the financing is not resumed soon, Gateway project leaders warn that construction will have to be halted, leading to job losses for hundreds of construction workers.
New York Democrat Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Appropriations Committee, criticized the proposal on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, calling it absurd.
Gillibrand stated that the naming rights should not be part of any negotiations and criticized Trump’s self-centeredness. She insisted that the president should release the project funds, along with others his administration is withholding.
Representative Jerry Nadler also lambasted Trump’s proposal, stating on X that Trump is “once again attempting to extend his extortion racket by smearing his name onto Penn Station while holding up billions in critical funding for the Gateway Project.” The Guardian was the first to report on the controversy on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026.
On Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, a U.S. federal judge ordered the Trump administration to temporarily restore the $16 billion funding for the Gateway Project. U.S. District Judge Jeannette A. Vargas granted a temporary injunction, stating that the fund withholding seemed arbitrary and would cause significant damage to the region’s infrastructure and economy. This order allows the construction to continue in the short term, while the legal challenge from New York, New Jersey, and the Gateway Development Commission proceeds.
Since returning to office, Trump has tried to append his name to various landmarks and initiatives. He launched a website called TrumpRX on Feb. 5, offering lower-cost prescription drugs. He also proposed a pathway to permanent residency and eventual citizenship, known as the Trump Gold Cards, priced at $5 million.
In December, Trump renamed the U.S. Institute of Peace as the “Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace.” The institute, established by Congress in 1984, is an independent, nonprofit corporation.
After the Trump administration took over the institute, fired its leadership and nearly all staff, and added Trump’s name to the building, the organization itself was not legally dissolved. The institute is a congressionally created independent nonprofit, and eliminating it outright would require an act of Congress. A federal district court ruled in May 2025 that the administration’s takeover was unlawful, though that ruling was stayed pending appeal. The building remains under government control while litigation continues.
In the same month, the board he selected approved adding his name to the Kennedy Center, against the wishes of the Kennedy family. Trump also has plans to build a 250-foot arch on the opposite side of the river from Washington, D.C.
The Gateway tunnel project is one of the most crucial infrastructure initiatives in the Northeast corridor, with the existing tunnel carrying hundreds of thousands of daily commuters between New Jersey and New York. Transportation experts have consistently warned that a failure of the current tunnel would be disastrous for the regional economy.
Penn Station in New York is one of the busiest transportation hubs in the country, accommodating hundreds of thousands of daily commuters.
The standoff over the Gateway funding occurs at a time when infrastructure investment has become a bipartisan priority in Washington. However, disagreements continue over implementation and supervision. The Biden administration’s infrastructure legislation provided significant funding for transportation projects across the country, including the Gateway tunnel.
Additionally, renaming Palm Beach International Airport to include Trump’s name has also been proposed.
