Trump's name 'etched into marble' in new plans for NYC landmark

Newly obtained renderings of the planned overhaul of New York City's Penn Station show a presidential seal with Donald Trump's name carved into the wall near one of the station's new entrances — the latest in a string of public institutions and landmarks to bear the president's name.

Gothamist obtained internal architectural documents showing "President Donald J. Trump" etched into marble next to a presidential seal at the new Eighth Avenue entrance. The designs also feature gold-accented railings, columns, escalators, and American flags — motifs familiar from other Trump-branded projects.

The winning plan, selected by station's owner Amtrak and the U.S. Department of Transportation, taps Penn Transformation Partners as master developer. The group includes Vornado, a Midtown real estate firm run by longtime Trump ally Steve Roth.

The federal government wrested control of the rebuild from the MTA last year, with Trump ordering construction to begin by the end of 2027. The overhaul would demolish the Theater at Madison Square Garden to make way for a new glass entrance, raise ceilings by up to 50 feet, and dramatically increase natural light inside the notoriously gloomy station.

A DOT spokesperson pushed back on the report, telling Gothamist, "We are not going to comment on leaked drafts and speculation."

White House officials had earlier floated renaming the hub "Trump Station," though Trump himself denied suggesting it. The renderings show it would keep the Penn Station name it has held since 1910.

The Penn Station branding is the latest addition to an unprecedented list. Trump's name has been added to the Kennedy Center, the U.S. Institute of Peace, and a new class of Navy warships. His portrait now appears on national park passes. Babies born under his watch have Trump accounts. A bill has been introduced to put his face on the $100 bill. And the White House launched TrumpRx, a prescription drug discount program bearing his name.

"I've never seen this kind of scale to rename places after a living person," geographer Reuben Rose-Redwood told USA TODAY. "The scale of it is unprecedented in modern times."