Bessent unveils ‘President Donald J. Trump Bridge’ in Tennessee
treasury Secretary Scott Bessent visited Eastern Tennessee to celebrate the opening of the “President Donald J. Trump Bridge” on Interstate 40, naming a significant infrastructure project after Trump. The ceremony highlighted TrumpS impact, with Bessent emphasizing that the bridge’s name reflects his commitment to the American people. The Tennessee legislature plans to rename the bridge in 2025, along with proposals to name other landmarks after notable figures like Martin Luther King Jr., B.B. King, and Elvis Presley. Additionally, Palm Beach International Airport has been renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport, and Trump has rebranded the U.S. Institute of Peace as the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace. The event drew notable attendees, including Trump’s relatives and Tennessee politicians, and served as an apparent campaign event for Senator Marsha Blackburn, who is running for governor and has maintained her campaign messaging aligned with Trump’s influence.Despite Trump’s indication to stay out of the upcoming race, Blackburn continues to promote her MAGA credentials, and Trump remains popular in Tennessee, increasing his 2024 election margin in the state.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent visited Eastern Tennessee on Thursday to celebrate the opening of the “President Donald J. Trump Bridge,” the latest infrastructure project to bear Trump’s name.
“Interstate 40 begins on one coast and ends on another,” Bessent said, referring to the highway on which the bridge sits. “It carries workers before dawn, families after dusk, and now, above the waters of Douglas Lake, the name of the president who puts them first.”
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The Tennessee legislature moved to rename the bridge, which stands roughly 30 miles east of Knoxville, in 2025. That bill also included a provision to dub a separate bridge over the Mississippi River “Kings’ Crossing” after Martin Luther King Jr., blues guitarist B.B. King, and Elvis Presley, the king of rock and roll.
Also on Thursday, Palm Beach International Airport, which serves the president’s Mar-a-Lago Club, became President Donald J. Trump International Airport. Trump transformed the United States Institute of Peace into the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace in December 2025, and he is sparring with a federal judge over whether the Kennedy Center in Washington can become the Trump Kennedy Center.
“There is no one more deserving of it than Donald J. Trump,” Bessent added at the ceremony. “From this day forward, every driver that encounters this bridge will see it bears his name because he never stopped fighting for the people who travel on it.”
Trump’s sister, Elizabeth Trump Grau, and his sister-in-law, Ann Marie Trump, were in attendance at the ceremony. They were joined by Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), Lt. Gov Randy McNally, and various state politicians, according to local television station WVLT.
The event may have functioned as an informal campaign stop for Blackburn, a Trump ally who is running for governor. Neither Blackburn nor her main primary opponent, Rep. John Rose (R-TN), has received the coveted Trump endorsement ahead of their Aug. 6 contest.
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Trump said in a meeting aboard Air Force One with members of Tennessee’s congressional delegation that he planned to stay out of the race. Yet the lack of an endorsement has not stopped Blackburn from running ads touting her MAGA credentials.
Trump won Tennessee in 2024 by nearly 30 points, an increase from his 2020 margin.
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