Overview

• Introduced May 29 by Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.), the bill would rename the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to WMAGA and the Metrorail to ‘Trump Train’ before restoring federal funding.
• Under the proposed legislation, WMATA’s roughly $150 million in annual federal support would be withheld until the agency’s Compact is amended to reflect the new names.
• Steube argues the measure will trigger a cultural shift toward efficiency and patriotism and cites upcoming events like the 2027 NFL Draft and FIFA Club World Cup matches as reasons for reform.
• Lawmakers view the proposal as part of a wider GOP trend to honor former President Trump, and critics—including Sen. Mark Warner—dismiss it as a political stunt unlikely to pass.
• WMATA has recently upgraded its fare payment system to tap-and-go cards and reported months of ridership growth under CEO Randy Clarke, fueling opposition to a purely symbolic name change.