Founder of Madite Dan Abrams Shocked by President’s report donald trump If his name appears on Penn Station, proposed deal to lift funding freeze is real, tells panelists CNN news night He initially “thought it was a joke.”
Abrams joins host Abby Phillip Thursday with CNN Scott Jennings, Ashley Allison, Bill Stepian, and Deja Fox The quid pro quo was discussed, first reported by Punchbowl News.
Trump asks Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer New York Democrats agreed to put Trump’s name on New York’s Penn Station and Washington Dulles International Airport in exchange for the president ending a freeze on $16 billion in funding for a new rail tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey.
“I can’t believe you’re actually defending this,” Abrams said to Jennings, before turning to Deja Fox. “I mean, I can’t believe this is true. I mean, I agree with you. I thought it was a joke.”
Jennings pushed back on Abrams, asking what went wrong with the deal.
“What’s wrong with him asking for something in exchange for being named after him? Don’t you think that’s a little crazy?” Abrams shot back.
The Trump administration froze the funds during the government shutdown last fall. New York and New Jersey sued the government this week in Manhattan federal court. Construction is still underway but could stop as early as Friday due to a lack of funds.
Trump told Schumer he was prepared to unfreeze the funds if he agreed to support plans to rename Penn Station and Dulles International Airport after him, two people familiar with the matter told Punchbowl News. Schumer rejected the idea and told Trump he had no authority to make changes.
“There’s nothing to trade,” a source close to Schumer told Punchbowl. “The president stops funding and can restart it with the snap of his fingers.”
Watch above via NewsNight.
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