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By Jesus Mesa
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Republican lawmakers have spent the past six months introducing a steady stream of bills designed to honor President Donald Trump—and, in some cases, his family.
The proposals range from renaming Washington Dulles International Airport to creating a $250 bill bearing Trump's portrait. Others seek to make Trump's birthday a national holiday, rebrand the Washington Metro system as the "Trump Train," and even carve his likeness into Mount Rushmore.
Federal honors of this magnitude are usually given long after a president leaves office, often posthumously, once history provides perspective. Historians say the current effort to immortalize Trump is almost unprecedented in U.S. politics, driven by a core group of GOP loyalists.
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Kennedy Center Opera House Renaming for Melania Trump
The most recent effort came on Tuesday, when Representative Mike Simpson, a Republican of Idaho, tucked an amendment into a spending bill to rename the Kennedy Center's Opera House in Washington, D.C., the "First Lady Melania Trump Opera House." Simpson argued it was a fitting tribute to Melania Trump's "support and commitment in promoting the arts."
The House Appropriations Committee advanced it on a 33–25 vote.
Democrats called the move a partisan stunt. "I was surprised to find the Kennedy Center provision in the amendment," said Representative Chellie Pingree, a Democrat of Maine, to reporters. If enacted, it would be the first time one of the Kennedy Center's main theaters has ever been renamed.
A Transit System in Trump's Image
Two months earlier, Representative Greg Steube of Florida rolled out the Make Autorail Great Again Act. His bill would rename the Washington, D.C., Metro the "Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access" and rebrand its trains as the "Trump Train."
The measure even threatened to cut federal transit funding unless the changes were made, turning Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan into a transit acronym.
Steube said in a statement that the bill would hold agencies accountable by tying federal funding to reforms that push them away from bureaucracy and toward better public service and patriotism.
New Currency Proposals
The spring of 2025 brought a rush of Trump-themed currency bills. Representative Joe Wilson, a Republican of South Carolina, proposed creating a new $250 bill bearing Trump's portrait, calling it a tribute to his "transformational leadership."
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Going a step further, Representative Brandon Gill of Texas introduced the "Golden Age Act of 2025," which would replace Benjamin Franklin on the $100 bill with Trump's image. Gill argued Trump had ushered in "a golden age for America," deserving of commemoration on the most widely used U.S. banknote.
"Featuring him on the $100 bill is a small way to honor all he will accomplish these next four years," Gill said. If the bill passes, all $100 bills printed after December 31, 2028, would feature Donald J. Trump's picture.
A Birthday Made National
That same month, Representative Claudia Tenney of New York put forward the Trump's Birthday and Flag Day Holiday Establishment Act to make June 14—a date that is both Trump's birthday and Flag Day—a combined national holiday.
"President Trump is the most consequential President in modern American history," Tenney said, likening the proposal to the federal holiday for George Washington's birthday.
A Mount Rushmore Proposal
In one of the boldest moves, Representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida introduced a bill directing the Interior Department to add Trump's face to Mount Rushmore.
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The National Park Service has said there is no uncarved rock left suitable for another figure, but Luna's proposal symbolized the zeal among Trump's allies to immortalize him alongside Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt.
Renaming a Major Airport
Months before Trump's second inauguration, Representative Guy Reschenthaler of Pennsylvania proposed renaming Washington Dulles International Airport as Donald J. Trump International Airport.
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"As millions of domestic and international travelers fly through the airport, there is no better symbol of freedom, prosperity and strength than hearing 'Welcome to Trump International Airport,'" Reschenthaler said when introducing the bill.
Higher-Value Cash for Trump
In June 2024, before he was even re-elected, Representative Paul Gosar of Arizona introduced the Treasury Reserve Unveiling Memorable Portrait (TRUMP) Act to issue $500 bills with Trump's face. Gosar framed it as both symbolic and practical.
"As Bidenflation continues to devalue our currency, the issuance of $500 bills featuring President Trump offers several practical advantages," he said
Renaming U.S. Waters
That same month, Representative Greg Steube of Florida arguably started the trend with a proposal to rename all U.S. coastal waters the "Donald John Trump Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States."
Timed to Trump's 78th birthday, the measure would require the name to be used in all federal maps, documents and laws. "I'm honored to introduce legislation that will rename our coastal waters after President Trump," Steube said.
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