Many of us opposed nearly everything Ronald Reagan did and didn’t do (AIDS disaster) as president, and yet found ourselves unable to oppose the Republican movement to rename Washington’s airport to Reagan National back in 1998. Same with George H.W. Bush being celebrated with Bush Intercontinental in Houston. We are a two-party nation, and – at times – we will have to hold our tongue in putting up with monuments and such to the other party. You cannot have JFK Int. without having Reagan National – and, ideally, someday – Chicago will be the home of “Obama International.” (Or have 5th Avenue in New York City renamed “President Barack Obama Ave., forcing Trump to list Trump Tower on “Obama Ave.” Please, someone make that happen.) But the airports were named in honor of a former president, one whose political career was over, no hero worship, just bestowing an honor. Not so with the MAGAs.
We now have a representative from Florida, Rep. Greg Steube, who has plans for the Washington DC Metro transit system, and he wants to celebrate the current president. At some point, apparently, military parades for birthdays simply are not enough. Per reporting by Joe My God and a press release from Steube himself (Keep that in mind below):
Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) today introduced the Make Autorail Great Again Act to block all federal funding to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) until it officially changes its name to the “Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access” (WMAGA) and renames the Metrorail the “Trump Train.”
So not only does the Rep. propose to rename the train, but anyone in Washington opposing such a move will be subject to the extortion levied by Steube – they will have to go without mass transit in their opposition. We are surely going to have to put up with many things named after Donald Trump, and we are helpless but to throw them a bone somewhere (Perhaps the West Palm Beach Airport) someday. But not while Trump is president. And not the federal system in Washington – where Trump attempted nothing less than a coup. Steube goes on:
“WMATA has received billions in federal assistance over the years and continues to face operational, safety, and fiscal challenges,” said Rep. Steube. “In the spirit of DOGE, this bill demands accountability by conditioning federal funding on reforms that signal a cultural shift away from bureaucratic stagnation toward public-facing excellence and patriotism.”
No. No, they do not get to define “patriotism” as going along with DOGE and Donald Trump. One is just as patriotic, if not more so, in opposition to Trump. Indeed, it should be pointed out that Democrats understood that Reagan was transformational – in a bad way to many, but was transformational nonetheless, which is why the honor went through with President Bill Clinton’s signature. If an honor should be made, it shouldn’t take extortion in money, nor the challenge to be a “patriot.” He goes on:
Rebranding WMATA as WMAGA and the rail system as the Trump Train represents more than a name change; it is a mandate for performance and transformation. “Like any struggling institution, WMATA needs a fresh identity that aligns with efficiency, service quality, and renewed public trust. These new names serve as a bold rallying point for much-needed reform,” Steube added.
Thankfully, if this is a great idea, then the nation should at least accept it such that the threat isn’t needed. And yet… Steube still wasn’t done:
“With Washington, D.C. preparing to host major global events such as the 2027 NFL Draft and multiple FIFA Club World Cup matches, our capital’s transit system must meet the highest standards,” Steube emphasized. “The American people expect modern, reliable, and well-managed public services in their nation’s capital. This bill leverages federal funding to ensure the transit system earns the right to represent the nation on the world stage.”
In Steube’s world, he would highlight the nation’s most gut-wrenching political fight in naming the metro the “MAGA” “Trump Train,” and do so with the green gun at people’s heads. With most presidents, we’d need not worry. No self-respecting president would dare sign something honoring him or her at the time. But we don’t have one of those presidents, and he would most certainly sign such a bill, and the House is crazy enough to pass it. That leaves…
It leaves the Senate and Senate rules to provide Republican cover. No way does McConnell, Cornyn, or Thune want this battle because the entirety of the people who use the system will vehemently oppose such a bill. Perhaps Democrats should offer a compromise?
Maybe Democrats should propose to give all necessary money to “represent the nation on the World Stage,” and leverage that money to nominate an international statesman with the honor. Perhaps “Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, President Barack Hussein Obama Metro Transit System” would do? Barack Obama Metro Area Transit – “BOMAT”?
Great compromise. Be patriotic and get it done, Steube.
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I had always thought that a metro area’s main airport should have the same name as the major city being served, to avoid confusion. So, when they changed the name of the airport to Reagan, why didn’t they change the name of the city to keep it matched? /snark!!