Cornyn Bill Seeks To Rename US-287 As 'Trump Interstate 47'
Sen. John Cornyn introduced legislation on May 11 to redesignate US-287 as Interstate 47 and name it for President Trump, co-sponsored by Sen. Cynthia Lummis; the move comes amid Cornyn’s runoff campaign.
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Overview
Sen. John Cornyn introduced legislation on May 11 to designate US Highway 287 as Interstate 47 and name it the "Trump Interstate," his office said, with Sen. Cynthia Lummis as a co-sponsor.
US-287 is a roughly 1,700 to 1,800-mile corridor that crosses Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana and is the second-longest three-digit highway, Cornyn's office said.
The proposal drew criticism as pandering amid Cornyn's runoff campaign against Attorney General Ken Paxton, with commentators calling the move a "desperate act" as Cornyn seeks President Trump's backing.
A 2025 Texas Department of Transportation study estimates converting the route to an interstate could save 7.37 percent in travel time by 2050 and about $5.4 billion in travel costs, the study found.
Cornyn said the bill would save more than $5 billion and cement Trump's legacy, and Trump has not yet issued an endorsement as Cornyn seeks backing ahead of the May 26 Republican runoff.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the bill as part of a broader trend of place-renamings, using selective context and mild evaluative language. They highlight Cornyn’s celebratory press-release quote, then foreground other renamings as a pattern. Editorial choices — mentioning a “board takeover” and listing related examples — emphasize spectacle over opposing viewpoints.