Donald Trump to Have Highway Named After Him Under Republican Bill
17 hours ago
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A Texas House Republican has introduced a bill to the state legislature that would rename the section of Interstate 35 that goes through Travis County as the “President Donald J. Trump Highway.”
The legislation was introduced by state Representative Joanne Shofner, who said she wanted to recognize “a president whose impact on Texas and the country is profound and enduring.”
Newsweek contacted Shofner for comment via online inquiry form on Thursday outside regular office hours.
Why It Matters
In November, Trump became the second president in U.S. history to be elected to a nonconsecutive term, a comeback that cemented his status as a hero for many grassroots Republicans. Even before his inauguration on January 20, Republican politicians began proposing name changes celebrating the 45th and 47th president.
What To Know
On March 14, Shofner introduced House Bill 5503, “an act relating to the designation of Interstate Highway 35 in Travis County as the President Donald J. Trump Highway,” to the state legislature.
The bill proposes renaming Interstate 35 in Travis County, which includes state capital Austin, after the incumbent president, and markers noting this would be placed “at each end of the highway and at appropriate intermediate sites along the highway.”
In a news release promoting the bill, Shofner’s office said, “In his first two months in office, President Trump, with the help of Governor Abbott, has protected Texas’ southern border by finishing the wall, halting the invasion of illegal immigration, and stopping human and drug trafficking, including deadly fentanyl.”
U.S. President Donald Trump at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., on March 14. U.S. President Donald Trump at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., on March 14. Andrew Harnik/GETTY
While construction work resumed on a border wall near El Paso, Texas, on January 31, there is no indication that it now covers the entire Texan-Mexican border.
Other name changes celebrating Trump have been proposed or have gone into effect elsewhere in the country. In December, officials renamed a road in Hialeah, Florida, as the “President Donald J. Trump Avenue.”
A bill was also introduced in the Tennessee House calling for the Nashville International Airport to be renamed as “Trump International Airport,” while in the U.S. House of Representatives, a Republican lawmaker proposed legislation that would see Trump’s face added to Mount Rushmore.
What People Are Saying
Texas Representative Joanne Shofner said in statement: “I want to congratulate President Donald J. Trump on his return to the White House. Under his leadership, America is once again [to] be respected, and the prosperity that Texas has long enjoyed will be reflected across the nation. It is fitting that this destination is located in our state’s capital, recognizing a president whose impact on Texas and the country is profound and enduring.”
Austin resident Daniel Baladez spoke out against the plan, telling Fox 7: “That surprised me. That definitely surprised. It needs to be kept the same way. There should be no change made. I think it’s just something new to do. Honestly, there’s nothing wrong with it right now. Like what? You know, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.”
What Happens Next
To become law, House Bill 5503 must be approved by the Texas House and Senate, both of which Republicans control, and signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott.
If passed into law, the name change would take place on September 1.
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