Florida Lawmakers Approve Renaming Palm Beach Airport After Trump

Authored by Kimberly Hayek via The Epoch Times,

Florida lawmakers on Thursday completed the approval of a bill to rename Palm Beach International Airport in honor of President Donald Trump.

The measure, now awaiting Gov. Ron DeSantis’s signature, comes at the same time as the Trump family’s recent federal trademark filings for airport names incorporating the president’s identity. The Trump Organization says it will see no financial gain from the Palm Beach site.

The Florida Senate passed SB 706 in a 25–11 vote.

The legislation is sponsored by state Sen. Debbie Mayfield, a Republican from Melbourne. The vote came days after the House approved a companion bill, HB 919, 81–30.

“President Trump is the first president that Florida has had in our history, and I think it’s very appropriate for us to be naming one of the other icons in Palm Beach after him,” Mayfield told Politico in January.

The legislation renames the airport as “President Donald J. Trump International Airport.”

The bill is effective July 1, provided the Federal Aviation Administration approves the change. The bill also includes a $5.5 million budget request for signage, marketing, and other rebranding efforts.

Some lawmakers, including Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), criticized the effort, saying it went around Palm Beach County residents.

“It’s misguided and unfair 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,” Frankel said.

“Decisions about naming 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.”

Trump relocated to Florida in 2019. His primary residence is Mar-a-Lago in West Palm Beach, which is near the airport.

At the same time, the Trump Organization filed for trademark protections through DTTM Operations LLC.

The company filed applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Feb. 13 and 14 this year.

The submissions cover “President Donald J. Trump International Airport,” “Donald J. Trump International Airport,” and the abbreviation “DJT,” extending to airport-related goods and services such as passenger shuttles, umbrellas, travel bags, and flight attire.

“To be clear, the President and his family will not receive any royalty, licensing fee, or financial consideration whatsoever from the proposed airport renaming,” the company said in a statement.

The filings coincide with other proposals, such as renaming Dulles International Airport.

Florida recently set aside land in Miami for Trump’s presidential library in 2025, and in January 2026, renamed a segment of road “President Donald J. Trump Boulevard.”