Florida lawmakers approve plan to rename Palm Beach Airport after Trump

Florida lawmakers have approved legislation to rename Palm Beach International Airport in honour of President Donald Trump, advancing a proposal that now awaits final authorisation at both the state and federal levels.

The Florida State Senate passed the bill on February 19 by a vote of 25–11, with all opposition coming from Democratic lawmakers. The decision followed approval in the Florida House of Representatives two days earlier, where the measure passed 81–30. The legislation will now be sent to Governor Ron DeSantis, who is widely expected to sign it into law. Any name change must also receive approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, and under the bill’s provisions, the change would take effect in early July.

If enacted, the airport would be renamed “President Donald J. Trump International Airport.” Republican lawmakers backing the proposal said the move reflects Trump’s close ties to the area. Trump, originally from New York, changed his official residency to Florida in 2019, designating his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach as his permanent home. The airport is located only a few miles from the property.

“This is the President’s hometown — he lives five miles away from the airport,” bill co-sponsor Republican state Representative Meg Weinberger said.

The proposal comes amid a broader trend of institutions and initiatives being associated with Trump’s name during his presidency. In December, a board aligned with the president voted to rename Washington’s Kennedy Centre — originally established as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy — as the “Trump-Kennedy Centre.” That same month, the State Department added Trump’s name to the US Institute of Peace.

Other reported efforts to rename major landmarks, including New York’s Penn Station and Washington’s Dulles International Airport, did not succeed. The Treasury Department has also confirmed that draft designs were prepared for a commemorative $1 coin bearing Trump’s image, despite longstanding laws prohibiting living presidents from appearing on US currency.

Separately, on Thursday a large banner displaying Trump’s portrait was hung across the headquarters of the Justice Department, an institution traditionally viewed as operating independently from political influence.

By Tamilla Hasanova