By Emmanuel Bobby
President Donald Trump on Monday reiterated his opposition to a major public works project to build a new tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey and distanced himself from reports that federal funding would be tied to renaming New York’s Penn Station and Washington’s Dulles International Airport after him.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump warned that the federal government would not cover any cost overruns for the new tunnel, a statement made less than two weeks after a federal judge temporarily blocked his administration from withholding money for the $16 billion Gateway tunnel project.
Earlier reports said the Trump administration had urged Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to support renaming the transit hubs in exchange for releasing funding. Trump rejected that claim, saying the renaming idea was raised by politicians and construction union leaders, not by him.
He also warned that the tunnel project could become “financially catastrophic for the region” unless better planning is implemented immediately. “Under no circumstances will the Federal Government be responsible for any cost overruns — not one dollar,” Trump wrote, adding that the government is willing to meet to prevent future overruns.
Trump and his administration have repeatedly threatened to withdraw funding from the long-delayed tunnel project. Last fall, White House budget director Russell Vought announced a funding freeze, questioning whether the money was being allocated based on what he described as unconstitutional diversity, equity, and inclusion principles.
Vought also announced sweeping cuts to infrastructure funding for other projects in states that former Vice President Kamala Harris carried in the 2024 election.
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