Trump-linked naming proposals surface around Penn Station, Dulles

Several U.S. media outlets report that the Trump administration considered renaming Washington Dulles International Airport and New York’s Penn Station after Donald Trump, while funding for the $16 billion Gateway rail tunnel project remains frozen.

The Gateway project centers on building a new two-track tunnel under the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey, a key link on the Northeast Corridor, the busiest passenger rail line in the United States. Although Congress approved funding, the money has not been released, prompting warnings that construction could be halted and jobs put at risk.

According to the reports, the proposal was discussed with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who declined to support the naming idea. His office has said there was no basis for such an exchange, noting that the funding could be restored through executive action. Penn Station is owned by Amtrak, while Dulles Airport is federally owned and governed by a regional authority, limiting lawmakers’ direct control over naming decisions.

Federal funding for the project was suspended last fall amid a broader review of infrastructure spending. New York and New Jersey have since filed lawsuits seeking to compel the release of funds already appropriated by Congress. Project officials have said that without new funding, work may pause, affecting construction schedules and employment.

The White House has declined to comment publicly on the reported discussions. Separately, legislative efforts to rename Dulles Airport after Trump have been introduced in Congress but have not advanced.

Earlier, Qazinform reported that the Trump administration announced that the board of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts moved to rename the institution after the sitting president.