President Donald Trump has linked the release of more than $16 billion in federal funds for the Gateway Hudson Tunnel project to a demand that New York’s Penn Station and Washington’s Dulles International Airport be renamed after him, according to people familiar with the matter.
The naming proposal comes amid broader controversy over Trump’s efforts to affix his name to federal institutions, including the Kennedy Center and the Institute for Peace.
Chuck Schumer (D-New York) rejected the idea and said he lacked the authority to rename the sites, sources told Reuters.
The Biden-era rail project, long delayed and seen as critical to expanding rail service under the Hudson River, has been held up since the Trump administration froze its funding last fall amid broader budget fights. A federal judge is scheduled to hear an emergency request from New York and New Jersey this week to compel the release of the appropriated funds before construction halts, which would put about 1,000 jobs at risk.
Schumer did not publicly comment on the naming proposal. The White House also declined to respond to requests for comment.
The reported offer drew swift criticism from Democrats, who said it substituted personal branding for responsible governance. New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand called the suggestion “ridiculous.”
“These naming rights aren’t tradable as part of any negotiations, and neither is the dignity of New Yorkers,” she said in a statement. “At a time when New Yorkers are already being crushed by high costs under the Trump tariffs, the president continues to put his own narcissism over the good-paying union jobs this project provides and the extraordinary economic impact the Gateway tunnel will bring. I demand that the president put people first and unfreeze this project and all the others his administration has been holding hostage for his personal gain.”
Gillibrand’s office released the statement on Feb. 5. Schumer’s aides also told NBC affiliates that “there is nothing to trade,” and that “the president stopped the funding, and he can restart the funding with a snap of his fingers.”
The Gateway project, which received roughly $15 billion in federal support under former President Joe Biden, includes the construction of a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River and repairs to an existing century-old tunnel. States and transportation advocates argue the work is essential to prevent crippling bottlenecks and to support regional and national commerce.
Construction on the project has continued in part, but faces a shutdown this week if the money remains withheld. The funding dispute has prompted lawsuits from New York and New Jersey against the federal government, which argue the freeze is unlawful and threatens jobs and regional economic stability.
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