A significant change is on the horizon for one of Florida’s primary airports, which is slated to bear the name of President Donald Trump. The Palm Beach International Airport is set to be renamed in his honor, following a decisive vote in the State Senate. With a 25-11 vote on Thursday, the Senate approved the renaming as a tribute to the sitting president.
This decision follows closely on the heels of the state’s House of Representatives’ endorsement of the measure, with a vote tally of 81-30. The next step in this process requires Governor Ron DeSantis’s signature to transform this proposal into law. However, for the name change to be fully realized, it must also gain approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, as reported by Bloomberg.
State Senator Debbie Mayfield has taken proactive steps by submitting a request for $5.5 million. This funding is intended to cover the costs associated with updating signage, branding, and the airport’s website to reflect its new name.
Despite the ambitious funding request, the Florida Senate’s initial budget proposal has allocated only $2.75 million toward these rebranding efforts. Meanwhile, the House has yet to propose its own funding plan, as highlighted by Politico’s reporting.
State Senator Debbie Mayfield reportedly submitted a funding request for $5.5 million which would pay for signage, branding and website updates associated with the renaming.
But the Florida Senate’s initial budget has only carved out $2.75 million for the rebranding efforts and the House has yet to make any funding recommendations, according to Politico.
The Trump Organization, though, has clarified that the county would not have to pick up the tab for the license agreement required for the name change.
‘They will not charge us a penny,’ Palm Beach County Administrator Joseph Abruzzo said.
‘We anticipate a smooth transition,’ he added. ‘I genuinely believe the president is humbled and honored that his hometown airport will bear his name.’
Florida lawmakers have passed a bill to rename Palm Beach International Airport after President Donald Trump
Republicans argued it is a fitting way to honor Trump as the first president who resides in Florida and meets dignitaries at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Trump’s personal plane is pictured at the airport earlier this month
DTTM Operations, a company associated with the Trump Organization, had even filed trademark applications for ‘President Donald J Trump International Airport’ and ‘Donald J Trump International Airport’ on February 13.
Trump Organization spokeswoman Kimberly Banza insisted to ABC News the president is not seeking to profit from the move, and said the applications were instead intended to prevent ‘bad actors from infringing upon or misusing the name.’
‘To be clear, the President and his family will not receive any royalty, licensing fee, or financial consideration whatsoever from the proposed airport renaming,’ she said.
The move, though, is ‘completely unprecedented,’ according to Josh Gerben, a trademark lawyer who first spotted the filings over the weekend.
He wrote in his blog that even though about a dozen other presidents have had airports named after them, the Trump Organization’s trademark applications are the first time a sitting president’s private company sought to trademark his name for an airport.
Critics now say the move underscores the broader perception that Trump is more interested in his own financial interests than pursuing the best interest of the US.
‘Under the status quo, the public cannot discern whether President Trump’s decisions are guided by the public interest or his own personal profit,’ said Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, director of government affairs at the nonprofit Project on Government Oversight.
‘Even if Trump’s business doesn’t profit off of this specific move, the continued operation of Trump’s family business while he is in office makes it crystal clear that the president must be bound by conflict-of-interest laws.’
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How should decisions about renaming public landmarks reflect the will of local communities?
Florida taxpayers may now need to dole out $5.5 million to rebrand the international airport (pictured)
Democrats in both Florida chambers also argued that state lawmakers should at least wait until Trump’s current term ends as they suggested there could be more fallout from the Epstein files, despite Trump’s insistence he did not engage in any wrongdoing.
‘This bill exists for one reason: to satisfy one large ego,’ Florida Senate Democratic Leader Lori Berman said. ‘And satisfying that ego isn’t free.’
In their attempts to scale back the effects of the bill, Democrats even introduced failed amendments to keep the airport’s abbreviation as ‘PBI’ rather than ‘DJT’ and add President John F Kennedy’s name on the airport alongside Trump’s.
US Representative Lois Frankel, a Democrat who represents West Palm Beach, has now called the approval of the bill ‘misguided and unfair.’
She argued that ‘the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature ignored the voices of Palm Beach County by pushing forward a bill to rename Palm Beach International Airport without giving County residents a real opportunity for input.
‘Decisions about renaming major infrastructure should wait until after an honoree’s service has concluded and should include meaningful input from the local residents and communities most directly affected,’ Frankel said, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
But Republicans argued that the name change is a fitting way to honor Trump as the first president who resides in Florida and meets dignitaries at his Mar-a-Lago estate. They have also touted Trump’s influence on south Florida through ventures like Trump International Golf Club and Mar-a-Lago.
Republicans also point to policy pushes that have been widely supported by Florida conservatives, like his crackdown on illegal immigration and his support of Israel amid its war with Hamas, Politico reports.
‘Fifty years from now, when we’re all not in this chamber and maybe not here on Earth, we’re going to look back and recognize what this president, this sitting president, did to save America,’ state Senator Danny Burgess said.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House for comment.
