Push to Rename NYS Park Named After Former President Reignites
I am sure that despite the title of this article, no one is going to be surprised when it comes to which former President I'm talking about. Let's be honest, there's probably only one answer to who it could be anyway. The answer is undoubtedly the former President of the United States and current candidate for the 2024 Presidential Election, Donald Trump.
President Trump is an individual that by no means is a stranger to 'breaking news' or being on the front page of countless different publications. However, in lite of the most recent events where President Trump is reportedly returning to New York due to his recent indictment, this story almost came at the perfect time.
Lawmakers Advocating for Changing Name of New York State Park
Recently NYS lawmakers have renewed a call to have 'Donald Trump State Park' located in Northern Westchester changed. Democratic representatives have made efforts to change the park's name in recent years but have been unsuccessful to this point.
Recent news of President Trump's indictment has brought about this new push, spearheaded by Senator. Brad Holyman-Sigal of Manhattan and Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg. The new push is being brought forward via the 'Anyone But Trump Act' which previously was passed in the state senate but was never adopted before sessions ended in June of 2021.
Both Sen. Holyman-Sigal and Assemblywoman Levenberg are of the belief that the 'neglect and low visitation numbers' to the park are at least partially due to the park's link to Trump and that it is also 'triggering for many people'.
Facts About Donald Trump State Park
The origins of the park start back in 2006 when at that time Donald Trump donated the 436 acres of land after a failed attempt at creating a new golf course. In the deal between Donald Trump in NYS it was agreed that the park would be named after him.
Reviews and opinions on the park are also a mixed bag, most likely due to the political charge that Trump ignites. Some with favorable views and some not so much.
What is the Future Outlook for the State Parks Name Change?
As it currently stands, the elections this past Fall saw Republican representatives pick up a number of seats in the state government. Despite that, however, it is unclear at this time whether or not the name of the park will be changed or stay the same noted by Westchester Magazine.
Though no determinations can be made regarding the future of the park currently, some clear distinctions can be seen. In reality, what we are looking at is this; President Trump is a lightning rod. It was seen in the lead-up to his election in 2016, it was seen through his 4-years as President and we are seeing it now with this indictment and his build-up towards running for office again in 2024. It has become virtually impossible to render an opinion on him in one way or the other without impartiality coming into play. The name of the act being used to have his name removed from the park is evidence of that enough.