Trump wants an airport named after him post his exit, but it can't be one with deteriorating infrastructure
The soon-to-be ex-President and once a manhattan real-estate mogul, Donald Trump, reportedly wants an airport named after him after he begrudgingly leaves the White House to make way for President-elect Joe Biden to take the reins on January 20.
Sources told the Daily Beast that the president has asked his advisers and aides about the process of naming airports after ex-leaders of the country. However, the airport in question has to meet the POTUS' expectations when it comes to infrastructure. He has allegedly made it known that he did not want a facility with a poor reputation or deteriorating infrastructure being named after him.
And this is not the first time that the president has floated the idea of a national or international airport carrying his name. Since 2018, he has expressed such a wish at least twice, according to a person close to him. Another source said that he has inquired about the type of “paperwork” needed to name an airport after a former leader. Trump also reportedly called for an aggressive, organized campaign to name an airport “Donald J Trump” following in the footsteps of former President Ronald Reagan in Washington, DC.
Former presidents who have airports named after them include George HW Bush, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Dwight D Eisenhower, John F Kennedy, Reagan, Theodore Roosevelt and George Washington. At least two of them never pushed to receive that honor for themselves and were instead bestowed with it by other leaders.
New York City Mayor Robert Wagner proposed that the international airport in Queens be renamed after JFK following the latter's assassination. On the other hand, Reagan’s name was added to Washington National Airport, making it Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after Clinton signed legislation for it.
Trump has also inquired about Navy aircraft carriers that could be commissioned and christened the “USS Donald Trump”, according to the Daily Beast. Such efforts might be a sign that Trump might be preparing for life after the presidency, despite his repeated refusal to concede the 2020 race. It also signifies his efforts to be remembered and be immortalized after he departs the White House.
In August, rumors spread wide about Trump reaching out to South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem about adding his face to the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. “He goes, 'Do you know it's my dream to have my face on Mount Rushmore?' I started laughing. He wasn't laughing, so he was totally serious,” Noem said.
At that time, he had denied reaching out but had instead said, "based on all of the many things accomplished during the first 3 1/2 years, perhaps more than any other Presidency, sounds like a good idea to me!"
We previously reported that the POTUS was reportedly mulling over the possibility of returning to television via a reboot of his once-popular reality show, 'The Apprentice' after leaving office. Two people with knowledge of the situation and another person close to the president told The Daily Beast that the president has stated things like: "How would you like to see The Apprentice come back?" and "Remember The Apprentice?"
He has also reportedly bragged about how the show once drew great ratings for him and creator Mark Burnett, and a reboot could easily be made if he wanted. However, whether a network would pick up the show is another matter altogether.