Florida's state legislature approved a bill on Thursday to rename Palm Beach International Airport in honor of U.S. President Donald Trump, moving the measure one step closer to becoming law.
The Senate passed the legislation by a 25-11 margin, following a vote in the state House of Representatives earlier this week that recorded 81 votes in favor and 30 against. Lawmakers on the Republican side were the principal proponents of the rebranding, while Democrats voiced objections.
U.S. Representative Lois Frankel, a Democrat representing West Palm Beach, criticized the measure, saying it bypassed local input. "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," she said.
With legislative approval secured, the bill now awaits action from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican. The governor has not publicly stated whether he will sign the measure. Officials in the governor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the bill.
The White House declined to comment when contacted about the proposed renaming. Spokespeople for Palm Beach County and the Trump Organization also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This decision follows a separate action last year in Florida to provide a downtown Miami property as the site for a presidential library for Trump. Trump, who was born in New York, moved his primary residence to Florida in 2019. Prior to relocating, he lived in a penthouse at Trump Tower; he now lists Mar-a-Lago in West Palm Beach as his primary residence.
Context and implications
The legislative votes in both chambers reflect a partisan split on the issue, with Republicans driving the effort and Democrats raising process and local representation concerns. The next steps hinge on the governor’s decision and whether local officials or residents will be able to influence the outcome before any enactment.