The Trump name is now attached to no fewer than three vast developments in Romania — and there is still some way to go before the end of the presidential term. A luxury district is planned in Cluj-Napoca, a Trump Tower in Bucharest, and, in the capital, even a themed park bearing the president’s name is in the works. But why, exactly, are Romanians so taken with Donald Trump?
A luxury estate under the Trump name
Donald Trump’s business interests in Romania are becoming increasingly conspicuous. His latest, 900-page financial disclosure — as previously reported by us — now also references a planned luxury residential development in Cluj-Napoca that will carry the Trump name, according to Transtelex. Meanwhile, a separate Trump Tower is set to rise in Bucharest, and plans have also surfaced for an American-themed park in the capital named after the president. Though often conflated, the three projects are in fact unrelated; notably, no Trump Tower is envisaged for Cluj.
According to the disclosure, The Trump Organisation has entered into a licensing and hotel management agreement with the Romanian firm SDC Imobiliare for the Trump International Cluj-Napoca project. The scheme would replace the earlier Transylvania Smart City concept, on a site at Someșeni (Szamosfalva), on Borhanci Hill, on the outskirts of Cluj. Spanning roughly 100 hectares, the development would include 1,850 residential units, a 30-storey hotel tower with 150 rooms and 450 apartments, an 18-hole golf course, retail outlets, educational institutions and leisure facilities. In effect, it would be a vast residential complex whose developers would pay to use the Trump brand — a name that enjoys remarkable popularity in Romania.
Significant obstacles, however, remain. While the project has made progress in the urban planning approval process, further permits are required. The site has long been contentious: it is tied to an earlier development marred by corruption allegations, while the nearby Pata Rât landfill — and its associated environmental concerns — remains a sensitive issue. An informal Roma community also lives in the area. Civil society groups and local activists have criticised the plans on these grounds.
Trump’s Romanian footprint expands
At the same time, construction is under way in Bucharest on Trump Tower Bucharest, set to become the brand’s first official skyscraper in Romania. Trump-branded towers have been built across the world, including in India, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, though many are licensing arrangements rather than family-owned assets. The Bucharest project is likewise being developed by SDC Imobiliare in partnership with The Trump Organisation. According to the developers, it will offer premium residences and exclusive services, marking the formal debut of the Trump brand in Romania.
A third, entirely separate venture is also taking shape in the capital. The mayor and leadership of Bucharest’s Fourth District are planning an American-themed park named after Donald Trump, Transtelex reports. Designs suggest visitors would encounter replicas of American landmarks, Route 66-style streetscapes, visual motifs inspired by Hollywood and Las Vegas, and a range of family entertainment attractions. Paolo Zampolli, the Italian-American businessman and close associate of Trump — who is credited with introducing him to his current wife — has enthusiastically promoted the plans on Instagram, sharing renderings and videos of the proposed park.
Why Trump resonates in Romania
According to an international Gallup survey cited by Pénzcentrum, Romania is the only EU member state where the American president enjoys a positive public perception. Elsewhere in Europe, favourable views are confined to Moldova, Kosovo and North Macedonia.
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Romania’s political elite has repeatedly drawn sharp criticism — chiefly from Vice-President JD Vance — over issues including the annulled presidential election and the broader state of Romanian democracy. Yet Bucharest’s leadership has ultimately managed to find common ground with Washington, while public support for the transatlantic alliance remains firm amid Russia’s war in Ukraine. The United States also holds significant investments in Romania, including the refurbishment of the country’s sole nuclear power plant.
Donald Trump began his second presidential term in January 2025 and is due to hand over office in January 2029. Under the US Constitution, a third term is not permitted — though speculation to the contrary continues to circulate.
Trump is not the only head of state with ties to Transylvania — or to Romania more broadly. King Charles III, through his Hungarian ancestry, owns several properties in the region, including in the predominantly Hungarian village of Zalánpatak — a story we have covered separately on Daily News Hungary.
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Featured image: President of the United States Donald J. Trump is seen on stage at the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority Conference 2026 at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC, United States on June 26, 2026. Source: Anadolu/Kyle Mazza
