Latest news with #MakeAutorailGreatAgainAct
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Republican bill would name the DC Metro the ‘Trump Train,' as part of a ridiculous pattern
After Donald Trump lost his re-election bid in 2020 and exited the White House, his Republican allies on Capitol Hill continued to look for ways to venerate him. Rep. Greg Steube of Florida, for example, introduced legislation that would've renamed the immediate waters surrounding the United States, labeling them the 'Donald John Trump Exclusive Economic Zone.' Now that the president has returned to power, Steube is still thinking along similar lines, though as The Hill reported, the GOP congressman now has found something new he wants to rename. Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) introduced a bill Thursday to rename the Washington, D.C., subway system after President Trump and his MAGA slogan. The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, known as WMATA, until it rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access, or WMAGA — a similar acronym to the Make America Great Again slogan — and renames the Metrorail the Trump Train. The legislation — which, incidentally, is quite real and not something I made up to make members of Congress appear foolish — has not yet picked up any co-sponsors, though if recent history is any guide, that will soon change. The proposal joins a growing list of related Republican measures that are currently pending on Capitol Hill: There's a bill that would create a $250 bill, and its Republican authors also want to feature Trump's face. (Existing federal law prohibits any living person from being depicted on U.S. currency, but the bill would create a one-time exception to the prohibition.) There's a similar bill that would put Trump's face on $100 bills, replacing Benjamin Franklin. There's a bill to make Trump's birthday a federal holiday. There's a bill to carve Trump's face into Mount Rushmore. There's a bill to rename Dulles Airport after Trump. What's more, this list doesn't include kindred efforts from the incumbent president's sycophantic allies, including measures to nominate Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize and to allow Trump to seek a third term. Rutgers University historian David Greenberg recently told Politico that there have been 'huge cults of personality' around former presidents, 'but even allowing for that on its own terms, [the spate of Trump-themed legislation is] pretty crazy.' The point isn't that any of these proposals are likely to pass. They're not. The point is that these measures are unlike anything in the American tradition, reinforcing a fundamentally unhealthy trend in Republican politics. As The New York Times recently summarized, 'A competition of sorts has broken out for whom the Republican base will see as the most pro-Trump member.' From the article: The rush of flattering legislation, some of which even the lawmakers concede is unlikely to pass, stands apart from merely carrying out Mr. Trump's agenda. ... 'It shows the power that Donald Trump has within the Republican Party these days, and that Republican members want to stay on his good side,' said Sean M. Theriault, government professor at the University of Texas at Austin. 'A lot of these people are in really safe districts, but they're also thinking about what their next step is. And so if they have designs on being in the Senate or running for governor or even a position in the administration, then there's no better way to get on his good side than to do these over-the-top moves toward him.' That was published before most of the aforementioned bills were introduced. I'm reminded anew of something Filipe Campante, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, said about these efforts: 'The reason why this is bad is the very fact that it's transparently ridiculous: It shows how this is becoming a Kim Jong-Un-style cult of personality, where the sycophants try to outdo one another in their groveling to get the attention of Dear Leader.' That competition, alas, is apparently intensifying. This post updates our related earlier coverage. This article was originally published on
USA Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- USA Today
GOP wants to rename DC metro after Trump
GOP wants to rename DC metro after Trump Show Caption Hide Caption Elon Musk officially departs Trump administration Elon Musk is leaving the Trump administration as his allotted 130 days as a "special government employee" ends. A Florida congressman is introducing a bill to try to rename Washington, D.C.'s metro to the "Trump Train," the latest in a series of efforts by GOP lawmakers to attach President Donald Trump's name to various buildings and infrastructure. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Florida, on Thursday, May 29 introduced the "Make Autorail Great Again Act," which would block all federal funding to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) until it officially changes its name and that of the Metro it operates. Steube wants WMATA to go as WMAGA instead − short for "Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access" − and for the Metro to become the "Trump Train," according to a news release from his office. "WMATA has received billions in federal assistance over the years and continues to face operational, safety, and fiscal challenges," Steube said in the release. "In the spirit of DOGE, this bill demands accountability by conditioning federal funding on reforms that signal a cultural shift away from bureaucratic stagnation toward public-facing excellence and patriotism." The Metro says it ferries 600,000 customers a day throughout the Washington, D.C. area and in surrounding Virginia and Maryland. With 98 stations, it is the second busiest metro system in the United States. The Florida lawmaker is just the latest member of the GOP to try to attach the president's name to a piece of infrastructure or building. Other Republicans have pursued a raft of proposals over the past year, ranging from adding Trump to Mount Rushmore to printing $500 bills featuring Trump's visage. 'Let's get carving!': Congresswoman introduces bill to add Trump to Mount Rushmore Here are some other recent proposals from Republican lawmakers aiming for significant Trump renames. Rep. Addison McDowell, R-North Carolina, introduced legislation Jan. 23 proposing Washington Dulles International Airport be renamed as Donald J. Trump International Airport. It failed in committee in mid-March. In Texas, Republican state Rep. Joanne Shofner introduced on March 14 a bill to rename a portion of I-35 in Travis County to the President Donald J. Trump Highway. In Arizona, a proposed bill from Republican state Sen. Wendy Rogers aimed to rename State Route 260 as the "Donald J. Trump Highway." It failed to make it out of the legislature. "I will bring it back next year and I will bring it back the following year, because we will honor this great President Donald J. Trump," Rogers said, according to KJZZ. Kentucky also wants to rename a highway after the president, with GOP lawmakers Jan. 7 introducing a joint resolution to designate 11 miles of Kentucky Route 18 in Boone County the "President Donald J. Trump Highway." Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund and Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY. Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@ and on X @KathrynPlmr.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- USA Today
'Trump Train' the latest in a wave of GOP-led renaming efforts
'Trump Train' the latest in a wave of GOP-led renaming efforts Show Caption Hide Caption Elon Musk officially departs Trump administration Elon Musk is leaving the Trump administration as his allotted 130 days as a "special government employee" ends. A Florida congressman is introducing a bill to try to rename Washington, D.C.'s metro to the "Trump Train," the latest in a series of efforts by GOP lawmakers to attach President Donald Trump's name to various buildings and infrastructure. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Florida, on Thursday, May 29 introduced the "Make Autorail Great Again Act," which would block all federal funding to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) until it officially changes its name and that of the Metro it operates. Steube wants WMATA to go as WMAGA instead − short for "Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access" − and for the Metro to become the "Trump Train," according to a news release from his office. "WMATA has received billions in federal assistance over the years and continues to face operational, safety, and fiscal challenges," Steube said in the release. "In the spirit of DOGE, this bill demands accountability by conditioning federal funding on reforms that signal a cultural shift away from bureaucratic stagnation toward public-facing excellence and patriotism." The Metro says it ferries 600,000 customers a day throughout the Washington, D.C. area and in surrounding Virginia and Maryland. With 98 stations, it is the second busiest metro system in the United States. The Florida lawmaker is just the latest member of the GOP to try to attach the president's name to a piece of infrastructure or building. Other Republicans have pursued a raft of proposals over the past year, ranging from adding Trump to Mount Rushmore to printing $500 bills featuring Trump's visage. 'Let's get carving!': Congresswoman introduces bill to add Trump to Mount Rushmore Here are some other recent proposals from Republican lawmakers aiming for significant Trump renames. Rep. Addison McDowell, R-North Carolina, introduced legislation Jan. 23 proposing Washington Dulles International Airport be renamed as Donald J. Trump International Airport. It failed in committee in mid-March. In Texas, Republican state Rep. Joanne Shofner introduced on March 14 a bill to rename a portion of I-35 in Travis County to the President Donald J. Trump Highway. In Arizona, a proposed bill from Republican state Sen. Wendy Rogers aimed to rename State Route 260 as the "Donald J. Trump Highway." It failed to make it out of the legislature. "I will bring it back next year and I will bring it back the following year, because we will honor this great President Donald J. Trump," Rogers said, according to KJZZ. Kentucky also wants to rename a highway after the president, with GOP lawmakers Jan. 7 introducing a joint resolution to designate 11 miles of Kentucky Route 18 in Boone County the "President Donald J. Trump Highway." Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund and Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY. Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@ and on X @KathrynPlmr.
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Republican Floats Bill to Rename DC Metro the 'Trump Train'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. "All Aboard the TRUMP TRAIN!" Representative Greg Steube, a Florida Republican, said in a social media post introducing his bill, the Make Autorail Great Again Act, on Thursday. The bill seeks to halt federal funding to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) until it formally changes its name to the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA), and the Metrorail is called "Trump Train." Newsweek reached out to the WMATA for comment via email. Why It Matters The WMATA includes Washington, D.C.'s metro and bus system, which carried nearly 200 million people in the 2023 fiscal year. Of those millions of riders, 51 percent were Metrobus riders, surpassing the 95.8 million Metrorail riders by 6.7 million riders. The WMATA receives $150 million in federal funding as part of the federal-state partnership established through the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008. While the bill is unlikely to pass, it reflects a broader trend of proposals to name public infrastructure after Trump, including a recent effort to rename Dulles Airport after him. A train arrives at Metro Center station in Washington, D.C., on April 23, 2021 A train arrives at Metro Center station in Washington, D.C., on April 23, 2021 AP Photo/Patrick Semansky What To Know Steube's bill states that "no federal funds may be provided" to the WMATA until it is renamed as the "Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access," or WMAGA. The bill stipulates that the Metrorail must be called "Trump Train." The short bill doesn't explain the reasoning for the change. However, Steube said in his press release that the bill was written in the "spirit of DOGE." DOGE (the Department of Government Efficiency), which billionaire Elon Musk headed until his departure yesterday, aimed to champion cuts to "waste, fraud, and abuse" across the federal government, resulting in mass layoffs and restructuring. Steube said his bill "demands accountability by conditioning federal funding on reforms that signal a cultural shift away from bureaucratic stagnation toward public-facing excellence and patriotism." He argued that the bill "represents more than a name change; it is a mandate for performance and transformation." The Republican Trump ally pointed to the upcoming events the city will be hosting, including the 2027 NFL Draft and FIFA Club World Cup matches, as incentives for the capital transit system to "meet the highest standards." The WMATA underwent significant changes under the leadership of Randy Clarke in 2022, who helped turn around declining ridership, improve safety practices, and address financial shortfalls. Clarke has also prioritized modernization efforts, including the automation of train operations, as well as the "tap, ride, go" feature, which allows riders to use their credit card on the rail turnstile for entry. What People Are Saying Joey Politano, who authors the Apricitas Economics newsletter, on X, formerly Twitter: "You could not be more wrong. WMATA is the best run transit system in the US and has just been getting better & more efficient for years. Leave our beautiful metro out of your culture war bulls***." Randy Clarke, general manager and CEO of WMATA, on X on May 28: "We said Tap Ride Go would be live on rail by end of May and before World Pride and proud to say Team Metro delivered. Today you can now use your credit or debit card to use @wmata. Incredible effort by team & partners to make America's Metro System even better! #wmata." What Happens Next The bill is unlikely to move forward in the chamber.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Florida Congressman introduces bill to rename Metro ‘WMAGA', ‘Trump Train'
WASHINGTON () — A Republican Congressman representing Florida's 17th district a bill on Thursday that would rebrand the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, changing WMATA to 'WMAGA.' The 'Make Autorail Great Again Act' aims to block 'all federal funding' to the agency until it 'officially changes its name to the 'Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access,'' Rep. Greg Steube said. WMATA receives a portion of its funding from the federal government, anticipating about $144 million in federal support (6%), according to . Steube also said Metrorail would be renamed the 'Trump Train,' according to the . Tap. Ride. Go! Metro launches new payment system 'WMATA has received billions in federal assistance over the years and continues to face operational, safety, and fiscal challenges,' Steube wrote in a news release. 'In the spirit of DOGE, this bill demands accountability by conditioning federal funding on reforms that signal a cultural shift away from bureaucratic stagnation toward public-facing excellence and patriotism.' He said the bill is part of WMATA's 'much-needed reform.' Critics on social media strongly disagree with the proposal. for Steube's bill, which NewsNation said he was handing out on Capitol Hill. DC News Now reached out to WMATA for a statement. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
