Florida Senate Approves Bill to Rename Palm Beach International Airport After Donald Trump

Florida lawmakers have approved legislation to rename Palm Beach International Airport in honor of U.S. President Donald Trump, advancing a proposal that has sparked political debate across the state. The Florida Senate passed the bill in a 25-11 vote on Thursday, following the Florida House of Representatives’ earlier approval in an 81-30 vote.

The measure received strong backing from Republican legislators, while Democratic lawmakers voiced opposition to the airport renaming effort. Critics argue that the decision was made without sufficient public input from Palm Beach County residents. U.S. Representative Lois Frankel, a Democrat representing West Palm Beach, criticized the move, stating that the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature overlooked local voices by advancing the bill without meaningful community engagement.

The legislation now heads to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for consideration. Governor DeSantis, a Republican, has not publicly indicated whether he plans to sign the bill into law. His office has not yet responded to requests for comment. The White House also declined to comment on the proposal, and representatives for Palm Beach County and the Trump Organization did not immediately provide statements.

If signed, Palm Beach International Airport would join other Florida landmarks connected to Trump. In 2023, the state approved a plan to donate a downtown Miami property for the future site of Trump’s presidential library. Trump officially changed his primary residence to Florida in 2019, relocating from Trump Tower in New York to his Mar-a-Lago resort in West Palm Beach.

The proposed renaming of Palm Beach International Airport underscores Florida’s continued political alignment with Trump and highlights ongoing partisan divisions over honoring the former president with prominent public landmarks.