On Thursday, Palm Beach International Airport officially began operationing under the name Donald J. Trump Airport, and some Florida voters are speaking out against the name change.
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“I think it’s patently absurd that we’re spending taxpayer money to rename an airport after a criminal that’s sitting in the White House,” one local flier told MSNOW. Said another, “I think it’s disgusting, ridiculous, pompous, and a lot of other bad things. I do not like it at all.”
The name change is the result of a bill signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in March, and according to Eric Trump, the president’s plane was the first to land at the airport upon its adoption of the new moniker Thursday morning. “There is no person who has done more for Florida and our country, and no one more deserving of this incredible honor,” he wrote on X. “As a son, and someone who flies out of this airport nearly every day, I will forever be proud to see the initials ‘DJT’ on my boarding pass.”
As the MSNOW segment suggests, not everyone shares his enthusiasm. The BBC, for example, spoke with a number of disgruntled travelers. One asserted that he wanted the airport to “stay PBI,” while another claimed she would “fly in and out of Orlando from now on.”
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According to NPR, “The airport says ownership and operations will not be affected, describing it as a ‘branding change only.’” But airport leadership seems well aware that not everyone will be pleased with the change, saying in a statement, “While we recognize that the required name change may be received in different ways by our passengers, we’re grateful for your continued support through this transition period. While some things may evolve over time, our core focus remains the same: providing a safe, reliable and welcoming airport experience.”
The name change has been subject to two local lawsuits, and NPR says it is controversial for several reasons, writing, “For one, while a dozen other U.S. airports are named after American presidents, Trump is the first to receive that distinction while in office.” What’s more, “Trump also took the unusual step of registering trademarks for the airport’s new name. DTTM Operations, the private company that manages Trump’s intellectual property, filed three applications in February, for ‘DJT,’ ‘President Donald J. Trump International Airport’ and ‘Donald J. Trump International Airport.’ As of this week, all are pending approval.”
While the Trump Organization has denied that it will profit from the name change, reporting from the New York Times suggests otherwise. As the Times writes, “Under the new agreement, the Trump family won’t profit from branded merchandise sold at the airport. But the agreement does not prevent the family from profiting off any such merchandise sold outside the airport’s premises, according to Josh Gerben, a trademark lawyer… And it requires the airport to pick a vendor to provide any branded merchandise from a list approved by the Trump family business.” What’s more, Trump and his family will maintain “control over any biographical material presented at the airport, or on airport materials.”
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