Donald Trump is facing new controversy over the Venezuela conflict and the Epstein files, as the U.S. President attempted to leverage billions of dollars in federal infrastructure funding to try to rename the Washington-Dulles International Airport and Penn Station after himself.
According to PunchBowl News, Trump has allegedly withheld an estimated $16 billion that was allocated to the Gateway Program. For those unaware, the ambitious program is aimed at expanding the Northeast Corridor rail line in New York City and New Jersey.
Overall, the Gateway Program is a critical transportation initiative that has been championed by officials as essential to improving rail capacity, reliability, and safety along one of the country’s busiest transit corridors.
So now, Trump has frozen the funds for that program to pressure lawmakers into bending the knee and accepting his renaming demands. But it turns out, after the funds were withheld last October, New York and New Jersey have since sued.
However, unfazed by the lawsuit, the U.S. President went to the New York Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, during a January 15 discussion, to personally raise the issue and ask for support.
As per a report, Trump offered to release the stalled funds in exchange for Schumer’s support for the renaming efforts. However, Schumer seems to have rejected the proposal, telling CNN that he couldn’t let such a deal happen.
Later, a source described the discussion to PunchBowl News, revealing Schumer’s verdict. “There’s nothing to trade. The president stopped the funding and can restart the funding with a snap of his fingers… There’s no statutory need for Schumer to be involved here” the source noted.
Meanwhile, several Republicans, including Guy Reschenthaler, have championed Trump’s move. Taking to X, he mentioned that “renaming @Dulles_Airport to Donald J. Trump International Airport will cement his status in our nation’s capital as our fearless commander-in-chief”.
President Trump is the greatest president of my lifetime.
Renaming @Dulles_Airport to Donald J. Trump International Airport will cement his status in our nation’s capital as our fearless commander-in-chief, extraordinary leader, and relentless champion for the American people. https://t.co/3rXG3i936u
— Guy Reschenthaler (@GReschenthaler) January 24, 2025
But it seems, many people are not quite happy about this controversial move. Therefore, responding to PunchBowl News, a few netizens called Donald Trump an “egotistical maniac” following his renaming decision.
What an egotistical maniac. Needs everything to have his name. https://t.co/VwZ6P7EbxL
— The Draftnik (@draftniks) February 6, 2026
After all, if Trump becomes successful, it would mark one of the most significant instances where a sitting President would affix his name to major national infrastructure. Not to mention, it would also go beyond the mere cosmetic name changes that he previously applied to the Kennedy Center and the U.S. Institute of Peace.
So far, the Washington-Dulles International Airport, which Donald Trump visited in October 2025 to assess future projects, is named after John Foster Dulles, who was Secretary of State for six years, under Dwight Eisenhower.
As for the Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station, it gets its name after Chuck Schumer’s late colleague, Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York. Both landmarks were named to honor individuals for their service to the nation, unlike Trump’s effort to rename them after himself.
