White House: Trump ‘floated’ renaming Penn Station and Dulles Airport
The article reports that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed President Donald Trump floated the idea of renaming New York’s Penn Station and Virginia’s Dulles International Airport after himself during a conversation with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Leavitt said the president brought up the renaming in that discussion, while Trump later told reporters that Schumer had suggested the idea in a one-on-one meeting; Schumer denied Trump’s account, calling it an “absolute lie” and tying the renaming to restoring $16 billion in federal funds for the Gateway rail tunnel project. The piece also notes a federal court ruling requiring the unfreezing of Gateway funds, with a temporary stay in place to allow an appeal, and references related coverage, including a press briefing video.
White House confirms Trump ‘floated’ renaming Penn Station and Dulles Airport after himself
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Tuesday that President Donald Trump raised the idea of renaming New York’s Penn Station and Virginia’s Washington Dulles International Airport after himself in a conversation with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
During the White House press briefing, Leavitt was asked about allegations Schumer has made that Trump sought his support for renaming the two iconic transportation hubs.
“It was something the President floated in his conversation with Chuck Schumer, as for the funding, the president has addressed that separately himself,” Leavitt said.
Trump told reporters last Friday, onboard Air Force One, that it was Schumer who, in a one-on-one meeting, suggested renaming Dulles and Penn Station.
Schumer called Trump’s recounting of the conversation an “absolute lie.” The minority leader said the president linked his support to the renaming to the restoration of $16 billion in federal funds previously awarded to the Gateway rail tunnel project linking New York and New Jersey.
“Only one man can restart the project, and he can restart it with the snap of his fingers,” Schumer said.
Last Friday, a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration must immediately unfreeze the Gateway tunnel funds, which the Department of Transportation had not disbursed since last year.
Transportation officials petitioned a separate judge for a stay of that previous order, which was denied on Monday. Instead, Judge Jeannette Vargas of the Federal District Court in Manhattan issued a temporary stay until Thursday, which should allow the Trump administration adequate time to file an appeal of last week’s ruling.
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You can watch Tuesday’s briefing in full below.
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