Florida lawmakers passed a bill to rename the Palm Beach International Airport after President Donald Trump Thursday.
The bill, HB 919, cleared the state Senate in a 25-11 party-line vote after previously passing the House 81-30, according to CNN. The measure now awaits the signature of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Republican lawmakers championed the bill as a way to expand the president’s legacy, while Democrats pushed back against the name change and claimed Trump does not deserve the recognition, according to Politico. (RELATED: Supreme Court Shoots Down Trump’s Tariffs)
Democratic Florida Rep. Lois Frankel called the bill “misguided and unfair,” claiming Florida lawmakers ignored Palm Beach County residents. She argued the signing should be delayed and the measure to name the airport should include “meaningful input from the local residents and communities most directly affected.”
The bill’s co-sponsor, Republican state Rep. Meg Weinberger, pointed to Trump’s ties to Palm Beach County.
“This is the president’s hometown, he lives five miles away from the airport,” Weinberger said, according to Fox 11.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA – MARCH 28: Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s private airplane known as Trump Force One is parked on the tarmac at the Palm Beach International Airport on March 28, 2023 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The rebranding, which potentially includes changing the airport’s abbreviation from “PBI” to “DJT,” could cost more than $5.5 million, according to Politico.
Democratic state Sen. Shevrin Jones initially supported the name change, saying he would have also supported a Democratic president, CNN reported. However, he withdrew his support after allegations surfaced that trademark applications related to the renaming were filed by the same group that handles licenses and trademarks for the Trump Organization.
Jones stated that “no president, Democrat or Republican, should be able to benefit” from an airport trademark license, CNN reported.
A Trump Organization spokesperson said neither Trump nor his family would receive royalties or licensing fees from the renaming, according to the outlet. The spokesperson, Kimberly Benza, said the Trump Organization is “willing to provide this right to his hometown county at no charge.”
Palm Beach International Airport accommodated more than 8 million passengers from May 2023 to May 2024, according to a Palm Beach County press release.
Weinberger said Trump’s family would not only waive the trademark rights but were also “deeply honored” by the proposed name change, according to News From The States.
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