Democrats denounced the name change, but Republicans held the line.
Floridians will soon have the option to use a South Florida airport named after the President they voted to put into the White House three times in the last decade.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed Rep. Meg Weinberger’s bill (HB 919), preempting major commercial airport names to the state and naming Palm Beach International Airport for President Donald Trump.
The law makes the brand identity name change at PBI contingent on Federal Aviation Administration approval and an agreement between Palm Beach County and Trump for the commercial use of his name. That agreement is a cinch given that the county supported the bill throughout the process.
It also preempts the names of major commercial airports in the state, all of which will remain as is except for the Palm Beach facility, which will be the President Donald J. Trump International Airport.
Weinberger, a West Palm Beach Republican, told a House committee that the renaming honors “leadership and legacy” and is for good reason, as Palm Beach “is the home of the President” and the airport is “just down the street from where he lives.”
“He’s a two-term President. It will happen in his lifetime. Why not honor him while he’s the President in his hometown? And this is the first President that we’ve had in Florida,” Weinberger said.
House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell is not a fan of this bill becoming law, as she said Monday after the signing.
“Life keeps getting more expensive for working families and seniors in Florida, which is why Democrats spent this legislative session fighting for an affordability agenda to lower costs and put more money back in your pocket. Instead of working across the aisle with us to advance those bills, Republicans leaders decided to prioritize wasting five million of your taxpayer dollars on renaming an airport after the President. Your money is being misused to celebrate the man who caused gas prices to rise to over four dollars a gallon, grocery costs to shoot up, and health care prices to spike. Republicans are out of touch when it comes to the real issues impacting Floridians. The people of Florida did not ask for this. It’s clear Tallahassee Republicans care more about political stunts than they care about your wallet.”