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Legislation to rename a Florida airport in honor of former President Donald Trump is now awaiting Governor Ron DeSantis’ signature.
In a move that marks a significant change, Florida lawmakers have given the green light to rename Palm Beach International Airport after Donald Trump. The decision came after a vote on Thursday, where the Florida Senate approved the bill (HB 919) with a 25-11 majority. This follows the Florida House’s approval earlier in the week, passing the measure with an 81-30 vote.
Situated less than five miles from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, the airport would be rebranded as “President Donald J. Trump International Airport,” provided the Federal Aviation Administration gives its nod of approval.
The bill also stipulates that Palm Beach County must negotiate an agreement with the rights holder of the “President Donald J. Trump International Airport” name. This agreement would allow the use of the name and its variations at no cost for purposes such as signage, advertising, marketing, merchandising, promotions, and the overall branding of the airport’s operations and amenities.
The legislation also outlines that Palm Beach County must form an agreement with the rights holder of “President Donald J. Trump International Airport” to use the name, and any derivatives of it, at no cost “in signage, advertising, marketing, merchandising, and promotions and for the branding of the airport and its operations, services, and amenities, and all related purposes.”
If DeSantis signs the bill into law, it will take effect on July 1, 2026. However, lawmakers still need to negotiate how much of the budget to allocate for the name change.Â
The Florida Senate’s initial budget recommendation was $2.75 million to go toward signage and rebranding for the new President Donald J. Trump Airport — compared to the $5.5 million ask outlined in the original bill. Lawmakers will discuss it further as the legislative session continues.Â
Trump already filed trademarks for airport in his name
Even before Florida lawmakers passed the bill allowing Palm Beach International Airport to be renamed for the president, Trump’s private company filed trademark applications for “President Donald J. Trump International Airport,” “Donald J. Trump International Airport” and “DJT.”
As first reported by trademark attorney Josh Gerben, this is an unusual move, as a sitting president has never sought trademark rights ahead of getting a landmark or airport named after him.
It raises questions as to whether President Trump’s company would be able to charge a licensing fee for the airport to adopt the name, or profit from merchandise like clothing or jewelry that has the airport’s potential new name on it.Â
“I should be very clear: these are trademark filings that are completely unprecedented,” Gerben wrote in the report. “Airport names almost always originate from the governmental body that owns or manages the facility. They are not owned or licensed by privately held entities.”
This also isn’t Trump’s first push to rebrand an airport in this name. Last month, Trump told Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer he would unfreeze billions of dollars needed to build a rail tunnel between New York and New Jersey if Schumer agreed to rename New York’s Penn Station and Washington’s Dulles International Airport after him.
Schumer rejected the offer, adding that he didn’t have the power to deliver on the request.