A bill to rename Palm Beach International Airport after President Donald Trump was passed by the Florida Senate on Thursday (February 19), CNN reports.
The bill passed by a 25-11 margin, with all opposition coming from Democrats, two days after it was approved by an 81-30 margin by Florida’s House of Representatives. The bill will be sent to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for signature and the name change is subject to approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, with it expected to go into effect at the beginning of July.
Trump has already applied his own name to several buildings and government initiatives, an unprecedented move for a sitting president. Florida Republicans intended to name the Palm Beach Airport, which is located near the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort, after him in order to declare permanent residency for the New York native.
“This is the President’s hometown, he lives five miles away from the airport,” said bill co-sponsor Republican Florida Rep. Meg Weinberger via WLUK.
Trump officially declared Mar-a-Lago as his permanent residency in 2019. Democrat Congresswoman Lois Frankel, who represents West Palm Beach, claimed that it was “misguided and unfair that the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature ignored the voices of Palm Beach County by pushing forward a bill to rename Palm Beach International Airport without giving County residents a real opportunity for input” in a statement addressing the vote.
Some state Democrats also raised concerns that the Trump family was attempting to profit from the name change after trademark applications were filed by the private entity that handles the Trump Organization’s licenses and trademarks one week prior.
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