NEW: Red State Passes Bill Renaming Major Airport After Trump

The Florida Senate voted Thursday to rename Palm Beach International Airport as “President Donald J. Trump International Airport,” approving the measure after hours of pointed debate over cost, timing, and whether a sitting president should receive the honor.

Lawmakers passed HB 919 on a 25-11 vote. The bill centralizes authority over the naming of major commercial service airports at the state level and assigns official names to seven airports across Florida. Most facilities keep their existing geographic titles, but the West Palm Beach airport would be rechristened under the legislation.

Republican Sen. Debbie Mayfield, the bill’s sponsor, framed the move as a recognition of Trump’s ties to the region.

“President Trump is a resident of Palm Beach County,” Mayfield said. “It’s an honor for me to present this bill to rename Palm Beach International Airport after the first Florida resident to be elected president of the United States.”

Under the proposal, the renaming would proceed only after Palm Beach County executes a licensing agreement with the rights holder for Trump’s name. Mayfield said the arrangement would be royalty-free. The agreement must guarantee the county perpetual and unrestricted use of the name at “no cost” for signage, marketing, and merchandising.

Palm Beach International Airport

Democrats, infamous for their spending habits in blue areas across the country, screeched about the price tag, citing an estimated $5.5 million for rebranding expenses.

“5.5 million of our money, your taxpayer money […] just to satisfy the fragile ego of our sitting president,” Democratic Sen. Tina Polsky said. “The county did not weigh in on this. Citizens did not weigh in on this.”

Polsky also claimed Trump “asked for” the bill, an assertion Mayfield pushed back on in closing remarks.

“President Trump did not ask me–matter of fact, I haven’t even talked to President Trump at all about this bill. It has been negotiated between Palm Beach County and the Trump entities,” Mayfield said.

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Mayfield added that the designation is strictly a branding change and would not require creating a new legal entity for the airport. She pointed to Trump’s long presence in Palm Beach County, where he owns Mar-a-Lago and several golf properties.

The Senate advanced the measure through substitution. Although senators initially took up SB 706, Mayfield moved to replace it with the House version, HB 919, saying the bills were “almost identical.” The maneuver allows both chambers to pass identical text and speed legislation to the governor’s desk.

Before the swap, the chamber rejected a slate of Democratic amendments that sought to delay the renaming until Trump leaves office, require a local referendum in Palm Beach County, and mandate that the airport’s FAA code, PBI, remain unchanged.

Republicans opposed the changes, arguing that the state has previously named landmarks after prominent leaders and that the bill sets a uniform framework for airport naming.

If Gov. Ron DeSantis signs the measure, the law would take effect July 1, 2026. Government records created on or after that date must use the new airport name.

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