Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed legislation renaming Palm Beach International Airport after the Florida destination’s most famous resident: President Donald Trump, whose Mar-a-Lago estate is nearby.
The bill, which takes effect on July 1, renames the hub the President Donald J. Trump International Airport.
Trump allies celebrated the bill, the latest attempt to rename a landmark after the president.
“This historic recognition celebrates a President who made Florida his home and saved our great Nation,” Florida state Rep. Meg Weinberger wrote on X. “Thank you to everyone who worked tirelessly to make this moment possible as we honor President Trump’s legacy and his extraordinary contributions to America.”
“Proud to have played a small role in making this happen,” the president’s son Eric Trump wrote on X.
Last week, Florida congressman Brian Mast introduced a companion bill.
“President Donald J. Trump’s impact on our nation will transcend our time—a historic legacy of dedication and commitment toward the American people,” Mast wrote in a statement. “He’s called Palm Beach County ‘home’ for many years, and this designation reflects our gratitude for his public service and leadership.”
The name change now heads to the Federal Aviation Administration, which will begin changing transit systems to reflect the update.
“Changing an airport name is a local issue and the FAA does not approve airport name changes,” an agency spokesperson told The Independent. “However, the FAA must complete some administrative tasks [that] include updating navigational charts and databases.”
Critics slammed the name change, which came after the president and his allies have put his name on the marquee at Washington D.C.-area institutions including the Kennedy Center and the U.S. Institute of Peace.
A federal lawsuit seeks to remove the Trump name from the Kennedy Center, arguing that it was illegally added without congressional approval.
“Life keeps getting more expensive for working families and seniors in Florida, which is why Democrats spent this legislative session fighting for an affordability agenda to lower costs and put more money back in your pocket,” Florida House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell said in a statement shared with The Independent.
“Instead of working across the aisle with us to advance those bills, Republicans leaders decided to prioritize wasting five million of your taxpayer dollars on renaming an airport after the President,” Driskell added.
The president’s name will soon adorn the airport, complete with an updated “DJT” airport code, but his administration is also facing criticism on the air travel front for a string of recent air disasters and long lines inside airports because of the partial government shutdown.
Trump International Airport connects to the recently renamed Donald J. Trump Boulevard, a stretch of road between the air hub and Mar-a-Lago.
The Trump administration has previously expressed enthusiasm for the Florida law. Trump International Airport "has a GREAT ring to it," White House communications director Steven Cheung wrote on X in February.
Behind the scenes, the administration has reportedly pushed to rename Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., after the president.
The Independent has reached out to the White House for comment on the airport's name change.
Earlier this year, the Trump Organization, the president’s family-run conglomerate, sought to trademark Donald Trump’s name for use in airports and other travel-related venues such as shuttle buses.
The company said the president’s family will “not receive any royalty, licensing fee, or financial consideration whatsoever” from the effort, but rather is seeking to protect the president’s name against misuse by “bad actors.”
Political figures from both parties have airports named after them. Las Vegas is home to Harry Reid International Airport, named for the former Democratic Senate majority leader. The U.S. capital area has Ronald Reagan National Airport. Officials are usually no longer alive or are out of office before any honorary name changes take place.
Earlier this month, a government commission stacked with Trump allies approved a design for a commemorative gold coin that features a portrait of the president, despite a longstanding tradition of images of living people not adoring U.S. currency.
Last week, the Treasury Department announced all newly printed U.S. paper currency will carry Trump’s signature, a first for a sitting president.
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