Wikipedia

Branding of United States government programs and facilities after Donald Trump

During the second presidency of Donald Trump, a number of United States government facilities and programs were officially named after Donald Trump or had his likeness put on them. While it is common in the United States to use former presidents' names for memorials to honor past service, it is unusual to do so for a sitting president. This activity has been described as engendering a cult of personality in Trump. Some, such as the renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, have been legally contested and overturned.

Photograph of a stone building facade with debossed lettering reading "United States Institute of Peace"
Photograph of a stone building facade with lettering reading "Donald J. Trump United States Institute of Peace". The lettering for "Donald J. Trump" is embossed while "United States Institute of Peace" is debossed. A scissor lift is partially visible on the left side of the image.
The facade of the Institute of Peace before (top) and after (bottom) the 2025 addition of Donald Trump's name

Renamings

edit

Institute of Peace

edit

On December 3, 2025, the exterior of the United States Institute of Peace was adorned with additional lettering renaming the facility to the Donald J. Trump United States Institute of Peace, in preparation for a signing ceremony of the 2025 DRC–Rwanda peace agreement on the following day.[1]

Kennedy Center

edit
Photograph of a stone building facade with lettering reading "The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts"
Photograph of a stone building facade with lettering reading "The Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts"
The facade of the Kennedy Center before (top) and after (bottom) the 2025 addition of Donald Trump's name

On December 18, 2025, the Trump administration announced that the board of trustees for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a new board mostly handpicked by Trump and chaired by Trump himself,[2] voted unanimously to change the institution's name to The Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.[3] The unanimous nature of the vote has been disputed, as the board's bylaws had been recently revised so that board members designated by Congress could no longer vote. One of those members, Joyce Beatty, has claimed she was muted on the call when she tried to object to the proposal.[4]

The legality of the name change was also questioned, since the center is detailed in congressional legislation specifically designating the site as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.[5] "The Kennedy Center Board has no authority to actually rename the Kennedy Center in the absence of legislative action", said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries.[6]

The day after the vote, the new name was installed on the outside of the building. John F. Kennedy's niece, Kerry Kennedy, reacted on social media saying "three years and one month from today, I’m going to grab a pickax and pull those letters off that building".[7]

On December 22, 2025, Beatty sued Trump and the newly appointed members of the board, saying the vote was a "thinly-veiled sham" and the renaming of the center violates federal law.[8] As of March 2026, Beatty v. Trump is ongoing.[9]

On February 27, 2026, the newly appointed president of the center Richard Grenell announced that the annual event known as the Kennedy Center Honors will be renamed the "Trump Kennedy Center Honors".[10]

On May 29, 2026, a federal judge deemed the renamed center as illegal, and ordered the removal of all Trump signage.[11] Trump's name was removed from the building by mid-June 2026.[12]

New programs

edit

Trump accounts

edit
This section is an excerpt from Trump account § Name.[edit]

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) of 2025 and the associated section of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) that it created refer to the children's investment accounts created by the OBBBA as "Trump accounts". To try to avoid the political overtones of the official name, the accounts have sometimes been referred to as 530A accounts, in reference to the section of the IRC that defines the accounts.[13][14] The accounts were known by at least two other names before being enacted into law. Initially conceived as Invest America accounts, the name was changed to "MAGA accounts", a backronym for "money accounts for growth and advancement", on its way to the House Ways and Means committee.[15][16] The name was then changed to Trump accounts at the last minute as the bill was finalized by Republicans in the House of Representatives.[17] According to The Wall Street Journal, president Donald Trump's association with the name of the accounts may dissuade some families from participating in the accounts.[16]

Trump-class battleship

edit

On December 22, 2025, Trump announced that the Navy would commission a new type of battleship, dubbed "Trump-class" ships.[18][19] The term "Trump-class" would not be in line with current United States ship naming conventions which state that ships are to be named after states, rivers and towns.[20] Although those standards have been relaxed to name aircraft carriers after presidents,[21] that convention has previously only been used for former presidents, not current.[22]

TrumpRx

edit

On September 30, 2025, Donald Trump announced plans to create a government website to sell pharmaceuticals to the public at discounted prices, to be named TrumpRx.[23] The site launched in February 2026, relying largely on prices already available at the discount pharmaceutical marketplace GoodRx.[24] At launch, a YouGov survey found far more support for the new website if it was not called TrumpRx: 57% approve and 19% disapprove. When surveying with the name TrumpRx, approval dropped 16 points to 41% and disapproval rose to 31%.[25]

Gold card

edit
Image of the Trump Gold Card released in 2025

On September 19, 2025, Trump signed Executive Order 14351 establishing a new visa for people willing to pay $1 million to enter the U.S., or whose employers are willing to pay the U.S. $2 million to sponsor them. The text of the executive order only refers to the visa as a "gold card",[26] though as early as February 2025, Trump was using his name to refer to the program. "Remember the words: the gold card", he said in an Oval Office press conference. "Somebody said, 'Can we call it the Trump gold card?' I said: 'If it helps, use the name Trump. I'll give it to you for free.'"[27]

When the program was officially launched in December 2025 at trumpcard.gov, the website referred to the visa as the "Trump Gold Card", and displayed a mock up of the physical card embossed with Trump's photo.[28]

Boeing F-47

edit

The Boeing F-47 is a sixth-generation fighter jet currently being developed for the United States Air Force as part of the Next Generation Air Dominance Program (NGAD). The Air Force states that the "47" designation pays tribute to the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt and the year the Air Force was established (1947), as well as to Trump's status as the 47th president, indicating that his backing is crucial for the program. In a March 2025 announcement of the plane from the Oval Office, Trump said “It’ll be known as the F-47. The generals picked the title. It’s a beautiful number.” Freedom of Information Act requests revealed that an Air Force statement explaining the F-47's name was hastily drafted right after the Oval Office announcement took place.[29]

The F-47 is expected to make its inaugural flight before the end of Trump's second term.[30][31] In 2026, Trump said "I don’t know why they called it 47... But if I don’t like it, I’m going to take that 47 off.”[30]

Use of Trump's image

edit

America the Beautiful Pass

edit
2026 annual resident America the Beautiful Pass, showing Donald Trump's official portrait and George Washington

In November 2025, the United States Department of the Interior announced that its America the Beautiful Pass, used for entry to certain National Park Service sites and other federal recreation areas, would bear a portrait of Trump rather than the traditional practice of using nature photography.[32] In response, the Center for Biological Diversity sued the federal government, claiming that the use of a portrait of Trump violated the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2004, which requires a competition to select a photograph and disallows controversial imagery.[33][34]

In December 2025, artist Jenny McCarty of Boulder, Colorado, began selling stickers of her own National Park-inspired artwork to be placed over Trump's image.[35] In January 2026, the Department of the Interior updated its internal guidance, stating that placing stickers on the face of a pass would cause it to become invalid: "defacing the pass in any way, including writing on it or adding stickers or other coverings, is a form of altering the pass".[36] By the time of the new guidance, McCarty had sold over 7,000 stickers and continued to do so after the guidance change, advising customers to bypass the policy by placing the stickers on a plastic sleeve instead of the pass itself.[37] On January 23, 2026, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that several artists had begun selling similar stickers and sleeves.[38]

Banners on federal buildings

edit
Nighttime photograph of a large vertical banner hanging between two neoclassical limestone columns. The banner primarily shows Donald Trump's face, with "U.S. Department of Justice Robert F. Kennedy Building" above and "Make America Safe Again" below.
Banner hanging at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building in February 2026

In May 2025, large banners with portraits of Donald Trump and Abraham Lincoln were hung on the outside of the United States Department of Agriculture Administration Building.[39] The USDA told Bloomberg News reporter Jason Leopold that the banners were intended to be temporary, and they were removed by August 15, 2025.[40] A similar banner was hung on the Department of Labor Building on August 25, 2025.[41] In February 2026, another banner was hung on the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building.[42]

Senator Adam Schiff published a report in September 2025 claiming that the banners had cost in excess of $50,000 and were in violation of federal law, comparing them to the Mussolini façade of the Palazzo Braschi and the Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il portraits.[43]

Passports

edit
Inner cover of the United States passport design for the United States Semiquincentennial

On April 28, 2026, The Bulwark published a news article claiming that the United States Department of State was intending to produce a "limited run" United States passport for the United States Semiquincentennial that would include Trump's face and signature in the inner cover.[44] Soon after the publication, Fox News obtained and published the department's internal mockup for the passport design. This passport will be the default option from the Washington Passport Agency for individuals renewing their passports in person at that location.[45] The issuance of the passport is set to begin in the summer of 2026.[46]

Trump's birthday

edit

Donald Trump's birthday, June 14, coincides with Flag Day. In 2025, the Department of the Interior announced that National Park Service locations would grant free admission in 2026 on "Flag Day/President Trump's birthday", citing "Trump's commitment to making national parks more accessible, more affordable and more efficient for the American people".[47][48] The announcement, which also removed fee-free access on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, was criticized by the NAACP as an attempt to minimize African-American history.[49]

Attempted namings

edit

Penn Station and Dulles International Airport

edit

At the start of the 2025 United States federal government shutdown, the Trump administration suspended funding for two public transit tunnel construction projects in New York City: $16 billion for tunnels connecting New Jersey to Manhattan known as the Gateway Program and $2 billion for expansion of the Second Avenue Subway.[50] At the time, the reason given was a review of "unconstitutional DEI principles".[51] Two weeks later in a news conference, Trump announced without explanation that the Gateway Program had been "terminated".[52] Later reporting revealed that Trump pressured New York senator and Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer to name New York Penn Station and Dulles International Airport after Donald Trump in exchange for the release of the funding.[53] Trump denied making the offer, saying it was freely offered by Schumer – a claim Schumer called an "absolute lie. He knows it. Everyone knows it".[54] Four days later, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Trump's offer, saying "about renaming, why not? It is something the President floated in his conversation with Chuck Schumer".[55] On February 6, 2026, a Federal judge issued a temporary order requiring the release of the funding while litigation continues.[56]

New Stadium at RFK Campus

edit

On November 8, 2025, ESPN reported that Trump had asked the owners of the Washington Commanders NFL team to name their New Stadium at RFK Campus after himself.[57][58] The proposed stadium site is owned by the federal government and leased to the Government of the District of Columbia;[59] as such, development is controlled by the federal National Capital Planning Commission.[60] "Trump has plenty of cards to play to get his way", said a source with knowledge of the offer, referring to Trump's control of the federal agencies needed to approve environmental and land-use issues at the building's location. As of February 2026, the team's ownership has declined to comment on the proposal.[61]

Responses

edit

Cult of personality

edit

Presidents rarely have their names memorialized in this manner. Trump is the first sitting president to have a building named after himself.[5] Trump's use of presidential authority to name programs after himself has been described as a cult of personality in The New York Times[62] and by the Director of The American Conservative.[63] Political scientist Austin Sarat wrote in an opinion article that such renamings are "in keeping with what strongmen do when they take power", but noted that uptake of the new names in media and colloquial speech may be unlikely.[64] Staff writer at The Atlantic magazine David A. Graham argued that Trump seemed to be promoting himself as a father figure or "daddy of the nation".[65]

edit

Law professor David Super argues that the Kennedy Center renaming is illegal, citing the original name as explicitly spelled out in federal statute, but noting that there may be no one with standing in court to sue over it.[66]

Professor of Mass Communication Jason Zenor has argued that these names fall under the "government-speech doctrine", a precedent set by the Supreme Court of the United States that permits governments to have the same free speech rights as natural persons.[67]

References

edit
  1. ↑ Kavi, Aishvarya (December 3, 2025). "Trump renames Institute of Peace after himself". The New York Times.
  2. ↑ Ulaby, Neda (February 12, 2025). "New board elects President Trump chair of Kennedy Center". NPR. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
  3. ↑ McCreesh, Shawn (December 18, 2025). "As Trump puts his brand on Washington, the Kennedy Center gets a new name". The New York Times.
  4. ↑ Kingsberry, Janay; Ables, Kelsey (December 31, 2025). "Kennedy Center changed board rules months before vote to add Trump's name". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
  5. 1 2 Fan, Amy; Sanger-Katz, Margot (January 13, 2026). "All the things named for Trump, and how long other presidents had to wait". The New York Times. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  6. ↑ Haynes, Danielle (December 18, 2025). "Kennedy Center board votes to add Trump to name". UPI. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
  7. ↑ Superville, Darlene (December 19, 2025). "The Kennedy Center has added Trump's name to the memorial Congress created for John F. Kennedy". Associated Press. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
  8. ↑ Bruner, Bethany (December 23, 2025). "Ohio Rep. Joyce Beatty sues Trump over Kennedy Center renaming". The Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on February 28, 2026. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
  9. ↑ Jacobs, Julia (February 27, 2026). "This year, it will be the 'Trump Kennedy Center Honors'". The New York Times. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
  10. ↑ Cremen, Alanea (May 29, 2026). "Kennedy Center cannot be renamed to honor Trump, judge says". wusa9.com. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  11. ↑ Kingsberry, Janay (June 12, 2026). "The Kennedy Center, Minus Trump". The Atlantic. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  12. ↑ Peck, Emily (November 26, 2025). "'Trump accounts' get a rebrand in the hopes of remaining politically neutral". Axios. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
  13. ↑ "IRC, Subtitle A, Chapter 1, Subchapter F, Part IX § 530a Trump Accounts". Internal Revenue Code. Retrieved December 17, 2025 – via Bloomberg Tax.
  14. ↑ Everett, Burgess (May 12, 2025). "The new Republican 'MAGA Account' has a surprising architect: Ted Cruz". Semafor. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
  15. 1 2 Brown, Dalvin (June 16, 2025). "How the $1,000 'Trump Accounts' Would Compare to Other Savings Plans". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
  16. ↑ Duehren, Andrew (May 21, 2025). "Bill Would Give Newborns $1,000 in 'Trump Accounts'". The New York Times. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
  17. ↑ Debusmann Jr., Bernd. "Donald Trump unveils new class of battleships named after himself". BBC. Archived from the original on December 25, 2025. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  18. ↑ Liptak, Kevin (December 22, 2025). "Trump expected to make shipbuilding announcement amid tensions around Venezuela". CNN. Archived from the original on December 22, 2025. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Ship naming in the United States Navy". Naval History and Heritage Command. Archived from the original on April 6, 2019.
  20. ↑ Suciu, Peter (November 28, 2025). "How does the US Navy name its aircraft carriers?". The National Interest. Archived from the original on February 17, 2026. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  21. ↑ Balestrieri, Steve (February 17, 2026). "USS Donald Trump: A Ford-Class U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Could Be Named After the Current President". National Security Journal. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  22. ↑ Lupkin, Sydney (September 30, 2025). "President announces TrumpRx website for drugs, and pricing deal with Pfizer". NPR. Archived from the original on February 6, 2026. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  23. ↑ Sonnenfeld, Jeffrey; Henriques, Stephen; Chen, Ferron; Koda, Asuka; McLennan, Vanessa (February 11, 2026). "TrumpRx is here and it helps, though a bit less than advertised". Fortune. Archived from the original on February 14, 2026. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  24. ↑ Hayes, Alexander Rossell (February 17, 2026). "Many Americans like the concept of TrumpRx, but the name turns off some of them". YouGov. Archived from the original on March 1, 2026. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  25. ↑ 90 FR 46031
  26. ↑ Trump, Donald (February 25, 2025). "Remarks at a Document Signing Ceremony and an Exchange With Reporters". Archived from the original on June 18, 2025. Retrieved March 2, 2026 – via The American Presidency Project.
  27. ↑ Navarro, Aaron; Walsh, Joe (September 19, 2025). "Trump unveils "Gold Card" fast-track visas for $1 million". CBS News. Archived from the original on September 20, 2025. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  28. ↑ Leopold, Jason (June 20, 2025). "How the Air Force Designated Its Next Fighter Jet 'F-47'". Bloomberg News. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
  29. 1 2 Trevithick, Joseph. "Possible Change To F-47 6th Generation Fighter's Designation Raised By Trump". The War Zone. Archived from the original on March 9, 2026. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
  30. ↑ Rosman, Rebecca (March 22, 2025). "Trump says Boeing will build the new generation of fighter jets, the F-47". NPR. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
  31. ↑ Heidt, Amanda (November 25, 2025). "Trump's face on new national park passes outrages conservationists". SFGate. Archived from the original on November 26, 2025. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  32. ↑ Grumbach, Gary (December 10, 2025). "Environmental group sues in bid to get Trump's image removed from new national park passes". NBC News. Archived from the original on December 11, 2025. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  33. ↑ Dreier, Frederick (December 16, 2025). "When Trump's face appeared on National Parks passes, this artist created an alternative". Outside. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  34. ↑ Hill, Sam (January 5, 2026). "DOI cracks down on stickers covering Trump's face on national park passes". SFGate. Archived from the original on January 6, 2026. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  35. ↑ Dreier, Frederick (January 7, 2026). "The battle over Trump's face on the National Parks pass takes a weird turn". Outside. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  36. ↑ Toledo, Aldo (January 23, 2026). "National park pass buyers can't cover Trump's face, so a California woman made a work-around". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on January 24, 2026. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  37. ↑ George, Olivia (May 22, 2025). "A giant Trump photo overlooks the National Mall. Not everyone is pleased". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 23, 2025. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
  38. ↑ Leopold, Jason (August 15, 2025). "What the USDA Spent on the Huge Trump and Lincoln Banners". FOIA Files. Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on August 27, 2025. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
  39. ↑ McHardy, Martha (August 26, 2025). "Giant Donald Trump portrait draped over Department of Labor Building in DC". Newsweek. Archived from the original on August 27, 2025. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
  40. ↑ Richer, Alanna Durkin (February 19, 2026). "Large banner featuring Trump's face is displayed on Justice Department headquarters". Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 19, 2026. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
  41. ↑ Schiff, Adam (September 15, 2025). Propaganda: How the Trump Administration is breaking the law and wasting taxpayer dollars with giant banners of Donald Trump (PDF) (Report). Archived (PDF) from the original on September 19, 2025. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
  42. ↑ Parker, Benjamin (April 28, 2026). "State Dept. finalizing plan to put Trump picture on U.S. passports". The Bulwark. Archived from the original on April 28, 2026. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  43. ↑ Wilson, Tabby (April 26, 2026). "Trump's face to feature on commemorative US passports". BBC News.
  44. ↑ Hansler, Jennifer (April 28, 2026). "US to issue passports featuring Trump's picture to commemorate America's 250th anniversary". CNN. Archived from the original on April 28, 2026. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  45. ↑ Wise, Alana (December 6, 2025). "National parks' fee-free calendar drops MLK Day, Juneteenth and adds Trump's birthday". NPR. Archived from the original on December 6, 2025. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
  46. ↑ "Department of the Interior Announces Modernized, More Affordable National Park Access | U.S. Department of the Interior". www.doi.gov. November 25, 2025. Retrieved June 13, 2026.
  47. ↑ Richards, Heather (December 9, 2025). "NAACP takes aim at Trump for ditching no fees on MLK Day at parks". E&E News. Politico. Greenwire. Archived from the original on December 9, 2025. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
  48. ↑ Haag, Matthew (October 1, 2025). "Trump to withhold $18 billion for New York-area transit projects". The New York Times. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  49. ↑ Mangan, Dan (October 1, 2025). "Trump administration freezes New York City infrastructure funds". CNBC. Archived from the original on October 1, 2025. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  50. ↑ Haag, Matthew (October 15, 2025). "Trump says $16 billion Hudson River tunnel project is 'terminated'". The New York Times. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  51. ↑ Gold, Michael (February 6, 2026). "Officials pressed Schumer to help name Penn Station and Dulles Airport for Trump". The New York Times. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  52. ↑ Graziosi, Graig. "Chuck Schumer says Trump is lying about renaming scheme". The Independent. Archived from the original on February 8, 2026. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  53. ↑ Bennett, Brian (February 10, 2026). "Leavitt contradicts Trump on effort to rename Penn Station after him". Time.
  54. ↑ McGeehan, Patrick; Cameron, Chris (February 6, 2026). "U.S. judge says Trump cannot halt funding for tunnel project". The New York Times. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  55. ↑ Van Natta Jr., Don; Schefter, Adam (November 8, 2025). "Sources: Trump wants Commanders' new D.C. stadium named for him". ESPN. Archived from the original on February 7, 2026. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
  56. ↑ Will, Conybeare (November 8, 2025). "President Trump wants to name new stadium after himself: reports". KTLA 5 Morning News.
  57. ↑ Segraves, Mark (February 4, 2025). "DC Council approves lease for RFK Stadium site". NBC Washington. Archived from the original on February 7, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  58. ↑ Austermuhle, Martin (January 22, 2026). "What do we know about the new Commanders stadium? A column". The 51st. Archived from the original on January 24, 2026. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  59. ↑ "Trump reportedly wants new NFL stadium in Washington named after him". The Guardian. November 8, 2025. Archived from the original on February 19, 2026. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
  60. ↑ Baker, Peter (February 15, 2026). "Trump's relentless self-promotion fosters an American cult of personality". The New York Times.
  61. ↑ Fisher, Marc (February 9, 2026). "Curt Mills turns a critical eye on Trump's foreign policy". The Washington Post.
  62. ↑ Sarat, Austin (December 29, 2025). "Why Trump cares so much about renaming things". The Hill. Archived from the original on December 29, 2025. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  63. ↑
  64. ↑ Corliss, Kate (December 19, 2025). "Can Trump actually name the Kennedy Center after himself?". Washingtonian. Archived from the original on December 19, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  65. ↑ Zenor, Jason (February 18, 2026). "TrumpRx, Trump Kennedy Center, Trump National Parks passes − government free speech allows the president to name things after himself". The Conversation. Archived from the original on February 18, 2026. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
‹ The template below (Second presidency of Donald Trump) is being considered for merging with Authoritarian drift during the second Trump administration sidebar. See templates for discussion to help reach a consensus. ›
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Branding_of_United_States_government_programs_and_facilities_after_Donald_Trump&oldid=1359435168"