TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Senate passed legislation Thursday afternoon to rename Palm Beach International Airport as "President Donald J. Trump International Airport," moving the controversial proposal one step closer to reality.
The bill passed 25-11 along party lines and now heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk, where it's expected to be signed into law. The renaming would still require Federal Aviation Administration approval.
Democrats criticized the move as an unprecedented honor for a sitting president and raised concerns about the $5.5 million price tag for implementing the name change.
"Our local newspaper that did a survey, 90% of Palm Beach residents do not want the name change," state Sen. Tina Polsky said.
Senate Minority Leader Lori Berman, D-Boynton Beach, argued the legislation serves no public purpose.
"This bill exists for one reason, to satisfy one large ego, and satisfying that ego isn't free," Berman said.
Democrats also raised concerns about potential trademark and merchandising opportunities that could benefit Trump financially from the taxpayer-funded renaming.
Republican supporters defended the timing, noting Trump's status as both a Florida resident and sitting president. They argued the legislation formalizes discussions already underway between county negotiators.
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"President Trump has delivered meaningful results for Florida and the United States, and it's an honor for me to present this bill to rename Palm Beach International Airport," Sen. Debbie Mayfield, R-Melbourne, said.
State Sen. Danny Burgess, R- Zephyrhills, emphasized Trump's presidential legacy.
"Fifty years from now, when we're all not in this chamber and maybe not here on this earth, we're going to look back and recognize what this president, this sitting president, did to save America," Burgess said.
The Republican majority rejected three proposed amendments that would have added guardrails to the legislation, including waiting until Trump leaves office, requiring a Palm Beach County referendum and explicitly barring any payments tied to the name change. They also defeated a proposal to preserve the current PBI airport code.
Other airports across the country have been renamed without local votes, supporters noted during the debate.
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