Florida Lawmakers Vote to Rename Palm Beach Airport After Trump

Republican-led legislature approves measure despite Democratic opposition.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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The Florida legislature has voted to rename the Palm Beach International Airport after former President Donald Trump. The 25-11 vote in the state Senate came days after the House passed the measure 81-30, with Republican lawmakers largely supporting the bill and Democrats objecting to the airport rebrand.

Why it matters

The decision to rename the airport after Trump follows Florida's approval last year of a plan to donate a downtown Miami property for the site of Trump's presidential library. The move is seen as a political gesture honoring the former president, who has strong ties to the Palm Beach area.

The details

Republican lawmakers in Florida pushed forward the bill to rename the Palm Beach International Airport after former President Trump, despite objections from Democratic lawmakers and the local congressional representative, Lois Frankel, who called the move "misguided and unfair." The bill now heads to Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, who has not indicated whether he will sign it into law.

  • On February 19, 2026, the Florida House of Representatives passed the measure 81-30.
  • On February 20, 2026, the Florida Senate voted 25-11 to approve the legislation.

The players

Florida Legislature

The state legislature in Florida, which is controlled by Republicans, voted to rename the Palm Beach International Airport after former President Donald Trump.

Lois Frankel

A Democratic U.S. Representative who represents West Palm Beach, Frankel criticized the move to rename the airport as "misguided and unfair" without giving Palm Beach County residents a chance for input.

Ron DeSantis

The Republican Governor of Florida, who has not indicated whether he will sign the bill to rename the Palm Beach International Airport after former President Trump.

Donald Trump

The former President of the United States, who has strong ties to the Palm Beach area and is the subject of the proposed airport renaming.

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What they’re saying

“It's 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.”

— Lois Frankel, U.S. Representative (newsmax.com)

What’s next

The bill to rename the Palm Beach International Airport after former President Trump now heads to Governor Ron DeSantis, who will decide whether to sign it into law.

The takeaway

The decision by Florida's Republican-led legislature to rename the Palm Beach International Airport after former President Trump is seen as a political gesture honoring the former president, who has strong ties to the area. However, the move has faced criticism from Democrats who argue it was done without proper input from local residents.