All the ways Republicans want to honor Trump, from $100 bill to Mt. Rushmore
FILE The faces of Mount Rushmore National Memorial are seen Sept in Keystone S D Photo courtesy of AP Photo David Zalubowski File Imagine getting the day off work for Donald Trump s birthday Receiving a bill with Trump s portrait on it Touching down at Donald J Trump International Airport near the nation s capital And taking in a show at the Donald J Trump Center for Performing Arts All would be viable under a flurry of bills Republican lawmakers have sponsored this year Trump is six months into his second term but several Republicans are ready to elevate him into the pantheon of American greats proposing an ever-growing list of bills paying tribute well before his second term ends One lawmaker even proposes carving his face into Mount Rushmore It s a legislative exercise mixing flattery and politics providing another stark reminder of the Republican Party s transformation under Trump as lawmakers from red-leaning states and congressional districts look for techniques to win the president s good graces and stay close to his supporters Doug Heye a Republican strategist who served as communications director of the Republican National Committee explained the bills have an major audience despite their seeming frivolity This is more about one person Heye stated It s not Hey voters look what I m trying to do for Donald It s Hey Donald look what I m trying to do for you ' No time to waste House Republicans moved fast to honor Trump after his second term began The bill to rename Dulles International Airport in Virginia after Trump was introduced hours after his swearing-in Best president in my lifetime revealed the bill s sponsor Rep Addison McDowell of North Carolina And I can t think of a better way to honor somebody than to cement their place in history by naming an international airport in our nation s capital after him Rep Brandon Gill of Texas waited a scarce more weeks before sponsoring his bill to put Trump on the bill which now features Benjamin Franklin His bill stated no bill printed after Dec could be printed without Trump s portrait on the front even though federal law bans living figures from being placed on U S currency That law enacted just after the Civil War was intended to avoid the appearance of a monarchy Another proposal from Rep Greg Steube of Florida would rename Washington s subway system the Trump Train There s also a bill from Rep Claudia Tenney of New York making June a new federal holiday called Trump s Birthday and Flag Day Perhaps the preponderance daring idea comes from Rep Anna Paulina Luna of Florida who wants the Interior Department secretary to arrange for Trump s likeness to be carved into Mount Rushmore alongside Washington Lincoln Thomas Jefferson and Teddy Roosevelt She has two models of it in her office Luna stated through two assassination attempts and a sham impeachment Trump has shown not just resiliency in character but also to have been able to do what no other president has been able to accomplish Rep Joe Wilson of South Carolina admits he wasn t enamored with Trump at first Now Wilson carries a pamphlet he gives to colleagues asking them to sponsor a bill that would direct the Bureau of Printing and Engraving to design and print a bill bearing Trump s image The honor would coincide with the th anniversary of the United States declaring its independence I believe the president has served in a such a manner that he deserves it Wilson explained It s not just a minimal random Republicans taking part In the GOP s tax cut and immigration law leadership changed the name of a new savings account for children from MAGA accounts to Trump accounts Because Trump is a transformational leader and he advocated for them Rep Jason Smith the chairman of the House Tactics and Means Committee declared of the name change The Nobel Peace Prize Several lawmakers are also talking Trump up as someone who should win the Nobel Peace Prize As a candidate Trump promised he would end the Russia-Ukraine war on his first day in office before saying later as president he was joking Solving that conflict and Israel s war against Hamas in Gaza has eluded Trump But Republicans and at least one foreign leader Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are still proposing Trump receive the prize Sen Bernie Moreno of Ohio has called on the Senate to nominate Trump while Sen Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee appealed her social media followers to share her post if they agree he deserves it Tenney in recent weeks wrote on X she has nominated Trump twice and will continue to do so until he s awarded the prize Honoring Melania Trump too An appropriations bill making its way through the House includes an amendment from Rep Mike Simpson of Idaho that would name the Opera House at the Kennedy Center for first lady Melania Trump Simpson mentioned the White House didn t know about the amendment until it was introduced He disclosed the effort is different from renaming Dulles Airport in Trump s honor because the theater isn t at present named after anyone She s just been a supporter of the arts inevitably has been and we re trying to keep the arts alive in this bill Simpson explained So we thought it was the appropriate thing to do Smart politics For several Republicans lauding Trump in act is only smart politics Trump s endorsement helped catapult countless lawmakers into elected office and his encouragement could be helpful as individual members try to get their priorities into law Plus Trump wields his endorsement aggressively to replace members he finds disloyal and reward allies He s already endorsed Gill and Luna for reelection in calling them MAGA Warriors But the power of a Trump endorsement extends beyond the primary especially in the midterm elections In the general vote they just send a signal to Trump voters to turn out to trust somebody and vote for them reported Steve Stivers former chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee Democrats have taken note of the flurry of Trump tributes seeing it as a chance to portray a pliant Republican majority as being focused on placating Trump rather than helping Americans House Republicans continue to embarrass themselves stated Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York These people are sycophants
