White House Demands Rename Penn Station to Trump Station in Exchange for $16 Billion Gateway Tunnel Funding
The White House has made a stunning proposal to Congress, offering to unfreeze billions of dollars in stalled Gateway tunnel funding in exchange for a simple yet contentious request: rename Penn Station after President Donald Trump. According to sources familiar with the negotiations, Trump's team is demanding that lawmakers agree to slap his name on one of America's busiest transportation hubs in order to restore federal funding for the $16 billion project.
The proposal was reportedly made by White House officials during closed-door talks with Senate Democrats, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. The request appears to be a thinly veiled attempt at "blackmail," as Schumer and other lawmakers have expressed skepticism about the idea of renaming Penn Station after the president.
Commuters passing through the station expressed frustration and dismay at the proposal, calling it "blackmail" and suggesting that Trump's team should be more concerned with addressing the station's long-standing issues with reliability rather than trying to curry favor with the president.
While Trump's allies are in the running to oversee the rebuilding of Penn Station, which is expected to begin as early as 2027, there are concerns about the project's capacity and whether it will be able to handle increased train traffic. The Gateway tunnel project, which centers on building new tunnels beneath the Hudson River, must also be completed in order to close and repair the old tubes that were damaged by Hurricane Sandy.
As lawmakers weigh the White House's proposal, a court hearing is set to take place later this week, where attorneys for New York and New Jersey will argue against the federal government's decision to withhold funding for the Gateway project. The outcome of these negotiations remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the fate of Penn Station – and the nation's transportation infrastructure – hangs in the balance.
The White House has made a stunning proposal to Congress, offering to unfreeze billions of dollars in stalled Gateway tunnel funding in exchange for a simple yet contentious request: rename Penn Station after President Donald Trump. According to sources familiar with the negotiations, Trump's team is demanding that lawmakers agree to slap his name on one of America's busiest transportation hubs in order to restore federal funding for the $16 billion project.
The proposal was reportedly made by White House officials during closed-door talks with Senate Democrats, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. The request appears to be a thinly veiled attempt at "blackmail," as Schumer and other lawmakers have expressed skepticism about the idea of renaming Penn Station after the president.
Commuters passing through the station expressed frustration and dismay at the proposal, calling it "blackmail" and suggesting that Trump's team should be more concerned with addressing the station's long-standing issues with reliability rather than trying to curry favor with the president.
While Trump's allies are in the running to oversee the rebuilding of Penn Station, which is expected to begin as early as 2027, there are concerns about the project's capacity and whether it will be able to handle increased train traffic. The Gateway tunnel project, which centers on building new tunnels beneath the Hudson River, must also be completed in order to close and repair the old tubes that were damaged by Hurricane Sandy.
As lawmakers weigh the White House's proposal, a court hearing is set to take place later this week, where attorneys for New York and New Jersey will argue against the federal government's decision to withhold funding for the Gateway project. The outcome of these negotiations remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the fate of Penn Station – and the nation's transportation infrastructure – hangs in the balance.
that they're asking for $16 billion for a tunnel funding deal just to rename Penn Station after Trump 
like what even is this?! shouldn't we be focusing on getting this tunnel project done ASAP instead of trying to curry favor with the prez? and btw, haven't there been so many delays already 
I'm kinda worried that our trains won't be able to handle all these new riders... this is like a recipe for disaster 
I gotta say, this is a pretty shady move from the White House. Asking to rename Penn Station after Trump just to get some cash for the Gateway tunnel project seems like a terrible deal to me 
. I mean, can't they see how people would be grossed out by that? Rename a major transportation hub after someone who's been all over the news for controversy and drama? No thanks 
. And what about the issues with Penn Station's reliability? Shouldn't they be fixing those problems instead of trying to name-drop their way into some cash? 
. This whole thing just smells like a power play to me.
. maybe we shud just start calin it "mcdonalds station" lmao 
I don't think that $16 billion is justifiable if they're going to tie it to renaming penn station like that...it's not right 
I gotta say, renaming Penn Station after Trump just sounds like a total scam 
And honestly, don't people think we've got enough to deal with without having Trump's name plastered all over our major transportation hubs? 
It feels like a pretty heavy-handed move to me. 
We're basically being held hostage by our president over a train station. And can we talk about how convenient it is that his team is trying to "curry favor" with lawmakers? Meanwhile, the real issue is the reliability of Penn Station and the Gateway tunnel project. Let's not forget why we have transportation infrastructure in the first place: for the people, not for politicians' egos 