President Donald Trump is reportedly personally managing the project to renovate Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., while also allegedly pushing for the airport to be renamed in his honor.
The president met with a group of six construction and infrastructure companies at the White House this month, with executives taking turns presenting their proposals to improve the airport, according to individuals aware of the plans.Washington Post.
The companies, including AECOM, a company involved in Trump’s White House ballroom project, submitted their plans.
Amidst the pitches, there were proposals to construct new terminals, redesign the airport’s layout, and eliminate the airport’s shuttles—commonly known as people movers.
Some of the suggestions attempted to sway Trump by reflecting his idealsfondness for naming things after himself, with one company suggesting to rename the shuttles “Direct Jet Transports,” or DJTs — the president’s initials, as reported.
Trump — who has attempted to rename multiple Washington locations, such as the Kennedy Center and the Institute of Peace, after himself — was reported to have suggested the airport be named after him last month.
The suggestion was made during a financial impasse with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York-based Democrat. The White House reportedly informed Schumer that the president intended to release over $16 billion for thelong-planned Gateway Tunnel project, which would introduce a new railway route between New York and New Jersey – provided he consented to rename New York City’s Penn Station and Dulles Airport, close to Washington D.C., after the president.
Nevertheless, Schumer quickly turned down the proposal, stating he lacked the power to rename the transit stations.
Approximately 27 million passengers pass through Dulles annually — with 10 million of them being international travelers — yet itpositions lower than many large airportsin passenger satisfaction.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which manages Dulles, already had a strategy to modernize the outdated facility and gradually eliminate the shuttles over the next 15 years.
However, Trump administration officials reportedly believe those plans are progressing too slowly and are instead seeking methods to quickly enhance the airport without waiting for Congress to allocate more funds, according to sources.Post.
The White House chose not to respond to Trump’s meetings with thePostbut stated that the administration was focused on enhancing “the international gateway to our nation’s capital.”
Dulles should evoke pride and admiration in foreign visitors coming to our country and American citizens returning home,” said spokesman Kush Desai. “The Trump administration is dedicated to utilizing all available resources to ensure that Dulles reflects the grandeur of our nation as we strive to Make America and our Airports Great Again.
The Department of Transportation stated it is “investigating various public-private collaboration possibilities to revamp Dulles at the pace of Trump.”
Trump’s alleged intentions to restructure Dulles, including changing the airport’s name to his own, follows the president’s pattern of associating his name with various government facilities since taking office.
Since coming back to power in 2025, Trump has put his name on significant Washington projectsbuildings, a planned group of Navywarshipsa program for wealthy foreigners that grants visas, a government-operated website for prescription medications, and federal savings accounts for kids.
He has also undertaken several large-scale construction initiatives, including the destruction of the historic East Room, which will be replaced by a 90,000-square-foot structure.The White House ballroom, which is projected to cost an astonishing $400 million.
Trump intends to have the ballroom constructed and available for guests by summer 2028, providing builders approximately a year and a half to complete the new venue.
The leader has also shown enthusiasm for constructing a250-foot tall “Independence Arch”In Washington, D.C., close to the Potomac River. It has earned the nickname “Arc de Trump,” playing on France’s Arc de Triomphe.
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