The Trump administration has urged U.S. Senators to consider renaming New York's Penn Station as part of an ambitious $8 billion redesign project for the nation's busiest transit hub. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy expressed support for the idea in a letter seeking congressional funding approval, suggesting "Trump Station" has a favorable ring.
Duffy's inclination to rename the station after the former president was evident last summer when officials were seeking bids for the project's master developer. A spokesperson for Trump, Karoline Leavitt, responded earlier this year with "Why not?" when asked about the possibility.
This effort aligns with President Donald Trump's recent focus on public works and legacy-building projects. Earlier this year, Palm Beach International Airport in Florida was renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport.
Trump himself has acknowledged that the renaming of Penn Station was discussed with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. However, Trump has stated that the idea was not his initiative and pushed back on the notion of it being tied to federal funding for the Gateway project, a crucial rail tunnel under the Hudson River. He also expressed reservations about a prominent New York landmark being named after Pennsylvania.
New York's Pennsylvania Station, originally built by the Pennsylvania Railroad and opened in 1910, was a grand Beaux Arts structure. It was demolished in 1963 to make way for Madison Square Garden, leading to the current underground, less-regarded station. The planned redesign reportedly aims to restore the station's original classical style, featuring a stone facade and a grand concourse. Renderings of the redesigned station have shown Trump's seal and name on an interior wall.
U.S. Representative Jerry Nadler, a Manhattan Democrat, has criticized the administration's involvement, calling it a "hostile takeover" of Penn Station. He stated his opposition to the proposal, suggesting it could become a "Trump vanity project" funded by New York taxpayers and transit riders.
The transit advocacy group Riders Alliance echoed these concerns, calling the renaming idea a "red flag" that the project might become a "multibillion dollar vanity boondoggle." A spokesperson emphasized that the focus should be on improving service rather than on monuments or name changes.
The Trump administration ordered Amtrak last year to take control of the redesign, which had been stalled by political disagreements among local transit agencies. Plans for the redesign involve keeping Madison Square Garden but demolishing a nearby theater. Amtrak has referred questions to the federal transportation department, while the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and New Jersey Transit have not yet commented.