Trump Eyes His Name on Alabama Bridge as Rally Seats Sit Empty - Newsweek

President Donald Trump suggested Friday that Alabama's long-awaited Mobile Bay bridge project could bear his name, reviving a familiar theme of attaching his brand to major public landmarks.

Speaking at a rally in Mobile, Trump highlighted the groundbreaking earlier in the day of the Interstate 10 Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project, a decades-in-the-making infrastructure effort expected to cost more than $4 billion.

"All made possible with $3 billion in funding from the Trump administration," Trump told supporters, referring to federal support for the project.

He then floated the possibility of giving the bridge his name.

"Maybe I'll be happy, and they'll name the damn bridge after me," Trump said. "Then I'll say, have all the overruns you want, make it just absolutely the greatest bridge in the world."

The comments came hours after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for the project connecting Mobile with communities across Alabama's Eastern Shore. Trump and his allies have touted the federal funding commitment as a major infrastructure achievement for the state.

Videos circulating on social media appeared to show empty sections inside Mobile's Mitchell Center as Trump addressed supporters Friday night, with some upper-level seats visibly unoccupied.

The attendance drew attention because Alabama has long been one of Trump's strongest strongholds. Throughout his political career, Trump has regularly touted his ability to attract large crowds across the Deep South and has previously held events in significantly larger venues.

The rally nevertheless drew thousands of supporters, who repeatedly cheered Trump's remarks on immigration, Iran, infrastructure funding and the economy. The crowd also responded enthusiastically when Trump touted federal funding for the Mobile Bay bridge project and suggested it could one day carry his name.

Images of the partially filled arena fueled discussion online about the state of Trump's political standing ahead of November's elections, particularly as recent polling has shown him facing headwinds after months of declining approval ratings.

According to Alabama officials, the project is the largest infrastructure development in state history. The first phase includes construction of a new six-lane cable-stayed bridge over the Mobile River that will connect to the existing Bayway corridor between Mobile and Daphne.

The initial phase is fully funded and is expected to be completed by 2031. A second phase, which remains unfunded, would replace the existing Bayway with a new elevated interstate structure spanning Mobile Bay.

The bridge has long been a political issue in Alabama, where congestion along the I-10 corridor has frustrated residents, commuters and businesses for years.

Trump's comments did not emerge out of nowhere.

Earlier Friday, Republican Representative Barry Moore, who is running for Senate, reportedly suggested naming the structure the "Gateway to America Donald J. Trump Bridge."

The idea has circulated among some Trump supporters in Alabama as construction plans have moved forward.

Former Democratic Senator Doug Jones mocked the concept on social media before the rally, arguing that Trump was more focused on a personal legacy project than on campaigning. Jones also noted that Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville had previously opposed portions of the bridge funding debate.

Trump has frequently attached his name to buildings, projects and institutions throughout his business and political career. Since returning to office, supporters and allies have periodically floated proposals honoring him through public facilities and landmarks, though few have advanced beyond the discussion stage.

The bridge remarks also come after months of controversy surrounding Trump's efforts to reshape the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.

Since returning to the White House, Trump has installed allies at the institution and sharply criticized its previous leadership and programming, prompting backlash from critics and some figures in the arts community.

Trump and his allies have also periodically floated proposals to attach his name to public institutions and projects. Those efforts have also included discussions surrounding Washington Dulles International Airport and proposals from supporters involving major transit hubs and public landmarks.

Against that backdrop, the bridge comments offered another example of Trump's willingness to publicly entertain the idea of major projects bearing his name.

Trump's comments nevertheless placed Alabama's largest infrastructure project into a broader conversation about efforts by supporters and allies to attach his name to prominent public institutions and landmarks.

Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here. Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Edward T. Cummins