Palm Beach International Airport in Florida was officially renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport on Thursday, with the president's Boeing 757 making the first landing at the facility. The renaming legislation was passed by the Republican-controlled Florida legislature in February and signed by Governor Ron DeSantis.
Eric Trump, a son of the president, posted a video on X of an aircraft controller announcing the change early Thursday. "Attention all aircraft, effective immediately, Palm Beach International Airport is now Donald J. Trump International Airport," the controller said.
Donald Trump Jr., another son, and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) were also on board the aircraft, referred to as "Trump Force One." The president himself had not yet landed at the airport, having returned to the White House from Turkey earlier that morning.
"There is no person who has done more for Florida and our country, and no one more deserving of this incredible honor," Eric Trump wrote on X, expressing pride in seeing "DJT" on boarding passes. He stated he played a significant role in making the renaming happen.
The rebranding has drawn praise from Trump supporters and criticism from Democrats. Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), whose district includes parts of Palm Beach and West Palm Beach, called the change "misguided and unfair" earlier this year, suggesting that naming infrastructure should occur after a person's service concludes.
This action follows a pattern where President Trump has embraced naming conventions for public assets, including coins, currency, passports, and buildings. The article notes historical precedents for such airport name changes, including the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas, renamed in 2012, and Washington National Airport, which was renamed Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in 1998. Other former presidents, including Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Gerald Ford, and George H.W. Bush, also have airports named in their honor.