US President, Donald Trump reportedly offered to release frozen federal infrastructure funding in exchange for support to rename major transport hubs after him, according to American media reports.
New reports by CNN and NBC said Trump proposed the idea to the top Senate Democrat, New York Senator Chuck Schumer, suggesting that Washington Dulles International Airport and New York’s Penn Station be renamed in his honour. In return, Trump was said to have offered to unblock federal funds earmarked for a major New York infrastructure project.
The reports, citing unnamed sources, said Schumer rejected the proposal. CNN noted that the offer was allegedly made last month.
The funding in question is part of a $16 billion federal allocation currently being sought by New York and New Jersey for the construction of a new rail tunnel linking the two states. Both states are reportedly suing to secure the blocked funds.
Trump, a former real estate magnate known for branding properties with his name, has made repeated efforts to stamp his personal legacy on public institutions and national landmarks. In December, a board installed by Trump at the Kennedy Center voted to rename the arts complex the “Trump-Kennedy Center.”
He has also promoted plans for an “Independence Arch,” inspired by Paris’s Arc de Triomphe, and approved the construction of a new White House ballroom, which reportedly involves demolishing the historic East Wing.
US media said Trump’s efforts now extend to major transport infrastructure, marking a departure from long-standing tradition. Public buildings and infrastructure are typically named after presidents only after they leave office or posthumously, in order to avoid politicisation.
The US Treasury has also confirmed reports that preliminary drafts have been prepared for a commemorative one-dollar coin bearing Trump’s image, despite existing laws that prohibit placing the likeness of a sitting or living president on US currency.
Reacting to the reports, New York Representative Jerry Nadler described the alleged attempt to rename Dulles Airport and Penn Station as an “extortion racket.”
