Democrats erupt over Trump push to rename Dulles, Penn Station
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President Trump at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 5. Photo: Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images
House Democrats reacted with swift fury Thursday evening over reports that President Trump floated renaming Dulles Airport and Penn Station after himself in exchange for unfreezing $16 billion in funds for the Gateway Development Project.
Why it matters: Trump administration officials proposed the deal to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Axios has confirmed. Schumer's fellow Democrats have angrily echoed the Senate leader's refusal.
- Punchbowl News first reported Trump's offer.
Driving the news: Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), whose New York City district would also be affected by the project, said in a statement to Axios, "Trump is pathologically petty and cannot be trusted to keep his word."
- "There is no point in yielding to his ever-changing ransom demands," he added.
- "So the President wants us to rename it TACO Station?" said Rep. Rob Menendez (D-N.J.), who represents the New Jersey side of the Gateway project, referring to the "Trump Always Chickens Out" slogan.
- Menendez told Axios he is "a no on this 'deal'" and expressed confidence that New York and New Jersey will "win in court" with their new lawsuit against the administration aimed at unblocking the funds.
What they're saying: Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.), who partially represents Dulles, said in a statement to Axios: "Instead of lowering costs, President Trump is holding critical infrastructure funding hostage for more vanity projects."
- Subramanyam vowed to "fight any effort to even remotely consider renaming Dulles Airport after a President who has been a disaster for Virginians," adding that "so should every other Democrat."
- Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), who represents Penn Station and the New York side of the Gateway project, said in a post on X that Trump is "once again attempting to extend his extortion racket."
Zoom out: Since returning to office last year, Trump and his allies have waged a wide campaign to rename major American institutions and landmarks after the president.
- Democrats reacted with similar rage in December when the Kennedy Center board purportedly voted to rename the building the "Trump-Kennedy Center."
- The U.S. Institute of Peace was renamed "Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace" last year, and Republican lawmakers have introduced bills to rename Dulles after him and put his face on the $100 bill.
- Republicans even made a last-minute change to the Big, Beautiful Bill to officially refer to a $1,000 baby bond program as "Trump accounts."
The other side: Rep. Riley Moore (R-W.Va.), a co-sponsor of the bill to rename Dulles after Trump, had nothing but praise for Trump's reported demand.
- "💯 let's put his name on it," he said in a text to Axios. "One the greatest Presidents in US history."
Go deeper: Inside Trump's push to rename Dulles and Penn Station after himself
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Rep. Rob Menendez.
Stephen Neukam contributed reporting.
