DNNPOST 06/02/2026 President Donald Trump sought Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer’s support last month to rename Washington Dulles International Airport and New York’s Penn Station after him in exchange for releasing more than $16 billion in federal funding for the Gateway tunnel project, according to people familiar with the discussions.
Schumer rejected the proposal and told the president the request was outside his authority, the sources said.
The Gateway project is a major rail tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey, and the administration has been holding up funding tied to the effort.
New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand criticized the proposal, calling it “ridiculous.” She said, “These naming rights aren’t tradable as part of any negotiations, and neither is the dignity of New Yorkers,” adding that the project would deliver good-paying union jobs and significant economic benefits.
The reported exchange took place during a mid-January meeting requested by Trump. Schumer used the meeting to press the administration on other issues, including urging support for extending enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits and raising concerns about immigration enforcement actions in several cities.
Democrats have also pushed back against Trump’s recent moves to place his name on prominent cultural and federal institutions.
Party leaders criticized the decision to add his name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a step that prompted some performers to withdraw from scheduled events.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse accused Trump of breaking norms by seeking to turn the venue into a political clubhouse, while other Democrats said the moves prioritize personal branding over public interest.
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