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By Hollie Silverman
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President Donald Trump denied in a Truth Social post on Monday that he sought to rename New York City’s Penn Station after himself, asserting that “certain politicians and construction union heads” raised the idea instead.
The comment was posted as political backlash mounted and U.S. District Judge Jeannette A. Vargas ordered the Trump administration to restore funding for the Gateway rail tunnel project between New York and New Jersey, which sued to force the release of already appropriated funds, by granting a temporary restraining order (TRO).
Why It Matters
The project would cost roughly $16 billion to add a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River and rehabilitate a 110-year-old existing tunnel used by Amtrak and regional commuters, affecting rail traffic across the Northeast Corridor.
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Funding for the project was halted during last year’s government shutdown and continued to be withheld, with the administration citing compliance reviews and new prohibitions on race- and sex-based contracting considerations. The court found New York and New Jersey would likely suffer irreparable harm without an injunction, underscoring the stakes for thousands of workers and commuters in the region, the BBC reported.
What To Know
In his Truth Social post, Trump wrote the idea to rename Penn Station to “Trump Station” “was brought up by certain politicians and construction union heads, not me,” and labeled reports to the contrary as “fake news.”
Trump tied the claim to his opposition to project cost overruns and declared the federal government would not cover any of them.
Speaking recently to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, “suggested” renaming Penn Station, remarks reported by a pool reporter. Schumer, however, responded on X that the claim was an “absolute lie,” disputing the president's account.
Multiple outlets reported the administration sought to rename New York’s Penn Station as well as Washington Dulles International Airport after Trump in exchange for releasing Gateway funds, a proposal Schumer’s office rejected and said was beyond the senator's authority.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later said that “it is something the President floated in his conversation with Chuck Schumer,” contradicting Trump’s earlier denial that he initiated the idea.
Meanwhile, Vargas issued a TRO last week requiring the administration to restore Gateway funding while New York and New Jersey pursue a preliminary injunction, finding that delays risked severe and immediate impacts, including job losses and safety concerns at active construction sites, Reuters reported.
Separate from Gateway, Representative Addison McDowell, a North Carolina Republican, introduced a bill last year to rename Washington Dulles International Airport after Trump, though it stalled in committee.
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President Donald Trump's Full Statement
"I am opposed to the future boondoggle known as 'Gateway,' in New York/New Jersey, because it will cost many BILLIONS OF DOLLARS more than projected or anticipated, much like Gavin Newscum’s 'Railroad' to nowhere, which is many times over budget, with no end in sight, and could financially obliterate what is left, after Newscum, of the California Economy. It is a disaster! Gateway will likewise be financially catastrophic for the region, unless hard work and proper planning is done, NOW, to avoid insurmountable future cost overruns. Please let this statement represent the fact that, under no circumstances, will the Federal Government be responsible for ANY COST OVERRUNS - NOT ONE DOLLAR! The Federal Government is willing to meet, however, to make sure that this does not happen! Also, the naming of PENN Station (I LOVE Pennsylvania, but it is a direct competitor to New York, and 'eating New York’s lunch!') to TRUMP STATION, was brought up by certain politicians and construction union heads, not me - IT IS JUST MORE FAKE NEWS! NO COST OVERRUNS!!! Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP."
What People Are Saying
Senator Chuck Schumer, New York Democrat, wrote in a post on X on February 6: "Absolute lie. He knows it. Everyone knows it. Only one man can restart the project and he can restart it with the snap of his fingers.”
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Democrat, said in a statement to NBC News on February 5: “This is ridiculous. These naming rights aren’t tradable as part of any negotiations, and neither is the dignity of New Yorkers.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement, February 7: “I am grateful the court acted quickly to block this senseless funding freeze, which threatened to derail a project our entire region depends on.”
Former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who worked under former President Joe Biden, wrote on X: "A federal court has blocked Trump’s shutdown of America's biggest critical infrastructure project - which makes sense, since he's violating legal commitments the federal government made in good faith on my watch. But we will have to keep defending this vital project, and the thousands of workers who will deliver it, from the President's nakedly political games."
Representative Suhas Subramanyam, a Virginia Democrat who partially represents Dulles, said: "Instead of lowering costs, President Trump is holding critical infrastructure funding hostage for more vanity projects," vowing to "fight any effort to even remotely consider renaming Dulles Airport."
Representative Jerry Nadler, a New York Democrat, wrote on X: "[Trump] is once again attempting to extend his extortion racket by smearing his name onto Penn Station while holding up billions in critical funding for the Gateway Project."
Representative Riley Moore, a West Virginia Republican who previously co-sponsored a bill to rename Dulles after Trump, praised the reported proposal in a text to Axios: “...let’s put his name on it. One [of] the greatest Presidents in US history."
What Happens Next
The Gateway Development Commission said it would work to restart site operations and bring workers back as funds are released.
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