A Republican congressman from Florida has proposed new legislation that would change the name of the D.C. area’s public transit system — Metro — to “Trump Train.”
In a new bill, Florida Rep. Greg Steube proposed the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, or WMATA, would no longer receive federal funds until it’s renamed to the “Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access,” or WMAGA. It would also rebrand Metrorail as the “Trump Train.”
“WMATA has received billions in federal assistance over the years and continues to face operational, safety, and fiscal challenges,” Steube said in a news release. “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.”
In 2024, WMATA received over $614 million through grants. That money went toward operating and maintaining the region’s sprawling transit system.
“Until these changes are enacted, WMATA will be ineligible for approximately $150 million in annual federal funding it currently receives through federal formula matching programs. Congress has long used its power of the purse to incentivize state and local reforms. This act applies those same principles to public transit, using funding conditions to demand governance reform, modernization, and improved service delivery,” Steube’s office added.
This isn’t the first time a Republican lawmaker has attempted to rebrand a facet of D.C. life.
In March, Rep. Andrew Clyde, a Republican representing Georgia’s 9th District, introduced House Bill 1774, which would have withheld “certain apportionment funds” from D.C. unless the city removed the Black Lives Matter phrasing from the plaza on 16th Street. The legislation also demanded the street be redesignated as “Liberty Plaza” and called for the District to remove all the Black Lives Matter Plaza references from city websites and official documents.
In January, Rep. Addison McDowell, a Republican representing North Carolina’s 6th District, introduced a bill to rename Washington Dulles International Airport to “Donald J. Trump International Airport.” The bill has stalled in Congress since February.
WTOP has reached out to Metro for comment.
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