Trump isn’t waiting for future generations to name things after him. It’s happening now

Trump Administration Rapidly Expands Presidential Branding Across Government and Beyond

Most American presidents wait for future generations to honor their legacy by naming important landmarks, institutions, or programs after them. Donald Trump, however, has taken a markedly different approach.

As his administration wraps up its first year of his second term, Trump’s name has been affixed to an unprecedented number of government entities, programs, and initiatives. The U.S. Institute of Peace, the Kennedy Center for performing arts, and even a new class of yet-to-be-built battleships now bear the president’s name.

These high-profile renamings join a growing list of Trump-branded government initiatives, including “Trump Accounts” for tax-deferred investments, the TrumpRx government website for prescription drug sales, the “Trump Gold Card” visa program (with a minimum $1 million price tag), and the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity—a transit corridor established through a U.S.-brokered deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The trend continued Friday when Trump attended a ceremony at his Mar-a-Lago estate marking the renaming of a four-mile stretch of road from Palm Beach International Airport to his Florida home as President Donald J. Trump Boulevard.

“When people see that the beautiful sign is all lit up nice at night and it says ‘Donald J. Trump Boulevard,’ they’ll be filled with pride. Just pride,” Trump remarked during the ceremony. “Not in me. Pride in our country.”

Historians and government ethics experts note this level of self-memorialization by a sitting president is without precedent in American history. Jeffrey Engel, Director of the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University, observed: “At no previous time in history have we consistently named things after a president who was still in office. Those kind of memorializations are supposed to be just that—memorials to the passing hero.”

While the White House pointed to Washington, D.C. and the Hoover Dam as examples of places named after sitting presidents, these remain rare exceptions rather than the rule. Critics suggest the current administration’s approach reflects Trump’s background in business, where his name became his brand—appearing prominently on luxury buildings, hotels, a casino, and consumer products ranging from neckties to steaks.

That commercial branding has continued parallel to his presidency. Trump-branded watches, Bibles, fragrances and $799 golden high-top sneakers have appeared alongside new ventures like Trump Mobile, a planned gold smartphone, and even a cryptocurrency memecoin named $TRUMP. The U.S. Mint is reportedly planning a physical, government-issued Trump coin as well.

The naming of federal buildings after Trump has sparked legislative pushback. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced a bill this week to ban the naming or renaming of any federal building or land after a sitting president, with retroactive application to the Kennedy Center and Institute of Peace.

“I think he is a narcissist who likes to see his name up there. If he owns a hotel, that’s his business,” Sanders said. “But he doesn’t own federal buildings.” The senator compared the practice to the “Great Leader” approach seen in authoritarian regimes like North Korea.

Congressional Republicans have proposed additional Trump tributes, including legislation to designate June 14 as “Trump’s Birthday and Flag Day,” rename Washington’s Metro system the “Trump Train,” and rebrand Dulles International Airport as Donald J. Trump International Airport.

Rep. Addison McDowell (R-NC), who introduced the airport renaming bill, defended the move, citing Trump’s efforts on combating fentanyl and pursuing global peace deals. “I think that’s somebody that deserves to be honored, whether they’re still the president or whether they’re not,” McDowell said.

Florida officials appear particularly eager to honor the president in their state. Following Hialeah’s renaming of a street as President Donald J. Trump Avenue last December, state lawmakers are now working to rename Palm Beach International Airport after him as well.

When asked about the Hialeah street naming at a Miami business conference, Trump called it a “great honor” and added: “Anybody that names a boulevard after me, I like… It’s a beginning, right? It’s a start.”