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As a New York businessman, President Donald trump card His name is on real estate, golf courses, vodka, steaks, bottled water and his own university.
In his second term as president, he is aligning his personal brand with state institutions and government plan, an unusual assertion of power by a sitting U.S. president.
Since returning to office in January, the Republican president has attached his name to prominent figures in Washington. buildingthe planned naval class warshipa visa program for wealthy foreigners, a government-run prescription drug website and federal savings accounts for children.
Some historians view this as a superficial legacy-building effort by the president that may not stand the test of time. Renaming Washington’s premier performance venue the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts has sparked a backlash, with some performances canceled in protest.
“I don’t think naming or renaming is a guarantee that Trump’s name will be on these things forever,” said Austin Salat, a law and political science professor at Amherst College who questioned whether Trump’s name would remain if Democrats returned to power.
White House spokesperson Elizabeth Houston said the administration is focused not on “smart brands but on achieving President Trump’s goal of making America great again.”
“The drug pricing agreement, overdue upgrades to national landmarks, a lasting peace agreement, and the Account to Create Wealth for Children are historic steps that would not be possible without President Trump’s bold leadership,” she said in an emailed statement.
Trump-Kennedy Center
The first year of Trump’s second White House term featured a stunning policy blitz that expanded presidential power, reshaped parts of the federal bureaucracy and the economy, and reshaped America’s relationship with the world.
But one of the most striking features of the past 11 months has been Trump’s energy and focus on etching his name on buildings and government projects.
Trump’s populist moves have alarmed Democrats and civil society watchdogs, who worry they could leave the impression that Trump, not the country, is the provider of essential services. Defenders say what Trump is doing is just an extension of his decades as a savvy marketer.
The biggest protest came in December, when his name was added to the Kennedy Center, named for the late Democratic president through an act of Congress passed in 1964 after his assassination.
The center was renamed by a board of directors, most of whom were appointed by Trump.
On the upper reaches of the Potomac sits the United States Institute of Peace, a congressionally established, government-funded think tank focused on conflict avoidance.
On December 3, the U.S. State Department renamed it the Donald J. Trump Peace Institute, following widespread controversy over Trump’s claims that he had ended eight wars given the ongoing conflict in several of them. Trump’s name is plastered on the exterior of the building.
There are many buildings and monuments in Washington named after presidents, but they are traditionally built long after the president leaves office, usually as a national tribute established by Congress.
Princeton University presidential historian Julian Zelizer said that while presidents have not hesitated to remind voters that they are responsible for popular policies, including stimulus money or infrastructure projects, “that’s very different than what you see today.”
“It’s much easier to put your name on a building or a ship than it is to pass lasting legislation,” Zelizer said. However, in terms of a lasting legacy, “it’s very thin.”
Trump-class battleship
Trump announced plans for a new generation of U.S. Navy warships, which he dubbed the “Trump-class” warships and said he would be personally involved in the design.
Zelizer said the later name change would be the first of its kind if Trump’s name appears on any of the ships, or if “Trump Class” becomes the official Navy designation for the new warships.
But Trump’s announcement does not guarantee that the ships will be built. The U.S. Navy has canceled shipbuilding plans in the past, and the Trump-class ships are still in the design phase that typically takes years.
The tax cut and spending reduction bill passed by Trump in July created a new type of tax-advantaged savings account for children, which is now called a “Trump Account” on the IRS website.
Because these accounts are created by an act of Congress, changing their names may require congressional approval.
In October, the U.S. Treasury Department shared a draft design for a $1 coin featuring Trump’s face to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States’ declaration of independence from Britain. Whether TrumpCoin will be released next year has not yet been determined.
The Trump administration also launched Trump Gold, a new immigrant visa program that allows wealthy foreign investors to quickly gain permission to live in the United States, and launched TrumpRx.gov, a website offering reduced prices on prescription drugs that may launch in 2026.
Even plans for the U.S. Air Force’s new fighter jet, the F-47, which does not bear Trump’s name, partially reference the 47th president, the Air Force said.
Trump calls the F-47 a “beautiful number.”