Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation on Monday to rename Palm Beach International Airport as "President Donald J. Trump International Airport," honoring the first Florida resident to be elected U.S. president, reports CNN.
The bill, approved by the Republican-controlled Florida legislature with votes of 81-30 in the House and 25-11 in the Senate, will take effect on July 1, 2026, pending approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). While the FAA has noted that airport name changes are local matters, the agency must complete administrative tasks including updating navigational charts and databases.
The airport is located approximately two miles from Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach. A highway connecting the airport to the resort was previously named after the president.
The legislation includes an estimated $2.75 million to cover costs for changing signs and other items across the airport complex, which handles approximately 8.6 million passengers annually. Lawmakers have stated that Trump will not receive royalties or fees for the use of his name.
Democrats have criticized the move. House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell called it a "misdirection of priorities," stating that Republican leaders were "wasting five million of your taxpayer dollars on renaming an airport after the President”.
The renaming is part of a broader trend since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. Other institutions bearing his name include the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, now called the "Trump-Kennedy Center," and the U.S. Institute of Peace. Recently, the Treasury Department announced Trump's signature will appear on U.S. currency for the first time for a sitting president.
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