State and Local Government

Florida lawmakers have passed companion bills requiring that Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach be renamed "President Donald J. Trump International Airport," sending the measure to Gov. Ron DeSantis and setting up a needed sign‑off from the Federal Aviation Administration. Senate Bill 706, sponsored by RNC Chairman and state Sen. Joe Gruters along with Sen. Debbie Mayfield, and House Bill 919, sponsored by Rep. Meg Weinberger of Palm Beach Gardens, amend state law listing official airport names and authorize state funding to cover the rebranding costs. Democrats, including local U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, object that the change—estimated to cost about $5 million—was pushed through without meaningful input from Palm Beach County residents, warn it could generate incidental profits for the Trump family, and argue no airport should be renamed for a sitting president before his service ends. A DeSantis spokeswoman says the governor has not yet received the bill but will review it when it reaches his desk, while any renaming would also require FAA approval. The move fits a broader pattern of GOP-controlled bodies attaching Trump’s name to public assets, from highways to the Kennedy Center, and is already drawing sharp partisan reaction about politicizing core transportation infrastructure in a county where Mar‑a‑Lago sits a few miles from the runways.