A proposal to attach President Donald Trump’s name to Palm Beach International Airport is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Over objections from Democrats, the Republican-controlled Senate voted 25-11 on Thursday in support of the bill (HB 919) that preempts the naming of major airports in Florida to the state, with the West Palm Beach airport becoming “President Donald J. Trump International Airport.”
The House voted 81-30 in support of the bill on Tuesday.
Melbourne Republican Sen. Debbie Mayfield, the sponsor of the bill, said Trump deserves the honor for cracking down on illegal immigration by deporting more than 400,000 undocumented migrants and forcing Canada and Mexico to restrain fentanyl trafficking into the country.
“It is an honor for me to present this bill to rename Palm Beach International Airport after the first Florida resident to be elected President of the United States,” Mayfield said.
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But Democrats said the issue should be put before the voters of Palm Beach County, which did not back Trump in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 presidential elections.
“Public airports are not political billboards. Airports are infrastructure, and they deserve to be treated that way,” said Senate Democratic Leader Lori Berman of Boca Raton. “The people of Palm Beach County did not ask for this.”
DeSantis spokeswoman Molly Best replied in an email that he will review the “final form” of the bill once it is delivered to his office.
The bill also preempts to the Legislature the naming of several airports throughout the state, including Orlando International Airport, Miami International Airport, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport, Tampa International Airport, Southwest Florida International Airport in Lee County and Jacksonville International Airport.
Sen. Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers, suggested the airport renaming is based upon Trump’s first term.
“He served as the 45th president. He's currently serving as the 47th president,” Martin said. “I don't think that he should be penalized, or we should wait simply because people re-elected him. He finished his first term years and years ago, we can go ahead and honor him now and it's completely timely.”
But Ocoee Democrat LaVon Bracy Davis said any name change should wait as Trump is “one of the most polarizing figures in modern history,” with a legacy that ranges from two impeachments and 34 felony convictions in New York for falsifying business records to “calling Mexican immigrants rapists and criminals, (and) referring to African nations and Haiti as ‘s-hole countries.’”
“Just recently, Donald Trump posted on his personal social media a video depicting President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as monkeys, imagery rooted in one of the oldest and most violent racist tropes in American history,” Bracy Davis continued.
The name change is subject to approval by the Federal Aviation Administration and the execution of an agreement between Palm Beach County and the trademark holder authorizing the commercial use of the name Donald J. Trump International Airport.
The bill advanced as DTTM Operations LLC, a Delaware-based entity managed by The Trump Organization, filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office last week for “intent to use” the names “President Donald J. Trump International Airport,” “Donald J. Trump International Airport,” and “DJT.”
Mayfield maintained that Trump isn’t going to charge the airport for royalties or any fees to use the name.
But Miami Gardens Democratic Sen. Shevrin Jones replied that the Trump businesses will be able to directly merchandise because of the trademarks.
The Senate’s proposed budget includes $2.75 million to cover the cost of changing signs and other items across the West Palm Beach complex that annually handles around 8.6 million passengers. The line item is half of the $5.5 million requested by Mayfield.
Included in Mayfield’s funding request was $250,000 for rebranding consultants involving overhead announcements, emergency messaging and telephone system updates. Another $250,000 is sought to rebrand equipment, vehicles, marketing materials and uniforms.
