A bill to name a bridge spanning the nation’s largest river after President Donald Trump has run aground in Louisiana, a ruby red state, according to a new report.
The legislation would have branded a proposed bridge over the Mississippi River connecting Highway 30 and Highway 1 as the “President Donald J. Trump Expressway,” adding to a growing list of infrastructure bearing the billionaire president’s name.
“The Department of Transportation and Development or its contractors are hereby directed to erect and maintain appropriate signage reflecting this designation once the bridge is constructed,” reads the bill, which was introduced by GOP state Rep. Michael Echols.
In March, the bill cleared the House in a 68–26 vote. But, it never received a Senate vote — nor was even referred to a committee — before the state’s legislative session concluded on June 1, USA Today reported.
Echols, a candidate for the U.S. House in the Pelican State’s new 5th Congressional District, said GOP state Senate President Cameron Henry informed him the bill would not move forward. He told the outlet: “I asked the president about it and he told me the Senate wasn’t interested in naming bridges and roads after presidents at this time.”
Echols, who was first elected in 2019, argued that putting Trump’s name on the project could boost its chances of securing White House support — and federal dollars.
“I’m disappointed,” he told USA Today. “I think it was a unique opportunity to advance a huge project that’s been on the books for decades.”
A separate bill put forward by Democratic state Rep. Pat Moore would have named a strip of Louisiana Highway 15 as the “President Barack Obama Road.” Her bill passed through the committee phase, but also never received a floor vote.
Part of the Deep South, Louisiana has long been a Republican stronghold. About 60 percent of the state’s voters cast their ballots for Trump in the 2024 election, while just 38 percent voted for former vice president Kamala Harris.
Since returning to office last year, Trump has had several infrastructure projects named in his honor — though not without pushback.
In December, the White House announced the U.S. Institute of Peace would be renamed the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace. The same month, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts was restyled as the Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.
Late last month, a federal judge ruled that the president’s name had been illegally added to the iconic arts institution. The judge said that the center’s board “overstepped its statutory bounds” by unilaterally making the rebranding, noting that this power lies solely with Congress.
Afterward, Trump griped that the judge should be “brought up on charges.”
In March, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation authorizing the state to rename seven major airports, including the Palm Beach International Airport, which will be rebranded as “President Donald J. Trump International Airport.”
This legislation has already prompted several lawsuits. One, brought by a pilot, argues that the name change could introduce safety risks and confusion for both pilots and air traffic controllers.
Critics have also raised concerns that the president’s family could financially benefit from the rebranding.
Before DeSantis signed the law, the Trump family company filed to trademark the airport name, according to The New York Times. Under the agreement, the family will not profit from branded goods sold within the airport, but could sell airport merchandise elsewhere for a profit.
Eric Trump has forcefully pushed back on this notion, writing on X last month: “The agreement clearly states that in no event will Licensor, Trump, or any affiliate or entity we have an economic interest in or receive any royalties, fees, or revenue from the purchase or sale of any Airport Merchandise.”
