There doesn’t seem to be an end to Trump and his party’s self-centered and narcissistic tendencies. It’s as if they believe he’s the greatest president in U.S. history, having accomplished countless monumental achievements. As part of this ongoing praise campaign, Republican Representative Greg Steube has proposed renaming the Washington subway system the “Trump Train.” The bill appears to be nothing more than an attempt to flatter the former president by tying his name and his popular MAGA slogan to public infrastructure.
Even the name of the bill, Make Autorail Great Again Act, serves to further elevate Trump. In a rather aggressive move, the bill threatens to cut off federal funding to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) unless they agree to the rebranding. WMATA would be renamed the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA). On the other hand, the Metrorail itself would become the Trump Train.
The reasoning behind this unnecessary subway name change? Steube claims it represents a shift away from bureaucratic inefficiency and toward patriotic reform. But it’s hard to see it as anything other than political theater. And this isn’t the only head-scratching proposal. Republicans have also introduced a bill to rename Washington Dulles International Airport after Trump and even one to print $250 bills featuring his portrait. Despite the ongoing criticism the current administration faces, Steube insists that these name changes will somehow improve performance and restore public trust.
While Republicans seem eager to push this subway renaming plan forward, many citizens aren’t impressed. To them, it feels like a waste of time and money, and they don’t believe Trump deserves such an honor. One Redditor remarked, “There’s that Trump derangement syndrome again.”
Others pointed out how Republicans seem oddly enthusiastic about pouring energy into pointless projects. The act also contradicts Trump’s own claims that America is in crisis and facing countless emergencies. As another user put it, “Shouldn’t they be working on one of the thousand emergencies Trump says we’re in? Or maybe spend the time reading the bills they already voted for?”
Others have criticized the Republican effort to rename the Washington subway, calling the act pure sycophancy. Many rejected the weak argument Steube used to justify his unnecessary bill. One user wrote, “This isn’t about insecurity; it’s sycophants performing grand acts of ass-kissing in a desperate attempt to get him to notice them.” Another added, “Democrats should introduce an amendment to rename the McPherson Square Station to TACO station.”
