Florida’s Palm Beach International Airport is set to officially become “President Donald J. Trump International Airport” on July 9, according to the airport’s website. The change follows a bill passed by the state legislature and signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis earlier this year.

Airport officials say the renaming won’t affect day-to-day operations, but the move has drawn sharp criticism. Representative Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), whose district includes Palm Beach, called the decision “misguided and unfair,” arguing that state lawmakers “ignored” local opposition. “Decisions about naming major infrastructure should wait until after an honoree’s service has concluded — and should include meaningful input from local residents,” Frankel said in a statement.

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A spokesperson for the airport acknowledged receiving feedback reflecting “a range of viewpoints,” but noted the decision was made at the state level, leaving local officials unable to reverse it. In May, Palm Beach County commissioners narrowly approved a licensing deal with Trump’s intellectual property company over use of the “Donald J. Trump” name. The Trump Organization said it would not seek profit from the agreement, only aiming to prevent “bad actors” from exploiting it.

The White House has celebrated the renaming, and Eric Trump shared what appears to be the airport’s new logo on social media, writing: “There is no person more deserving of this incredible honor than @realDonaldTrump. Congratulations Dad!”

Presidential Airports Across the U.S.

Trump is far from the first president to be honored with an airport name. Currently, 12 U.S. airports bear presidential names, all but one honoring deceased leaders. Here’s the full list:

  • John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York, N.Y.) – Renamed in 1963, a month after JFK’s assassination.
  • George Bush Intercontinental Airport (Houston, Texas) – Renamed for George H.W. Bush in 1997.
  • Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (Arlington, Va.) – Renamed in 1998.
  • Gerald R. Ford International Airport (Grand Rapids, Mich.) – Renamed in 1999.
  • Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport (Sangamon County, Ill.) – Renamed in 2004.
  • Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (Little Rock, Ark.) – The only one named for a living president, renamed in 2012.
  • Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (Wichita, Kan.) – Renamed between 2014 and 2015.
  • Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport (Dickinson, N.D.) – Renamed in 2004.
  • John F. Kennedy Memorial Airport (Ashland County, Wis.) – Named for JFK after his 1963 speech there.
  • Jimmy Carter Regional Airport (Sumter County, Ga.) – Renamed in 2009.
  • Roosevelt Memorial Airport (Meriwether County, Ga.) – Dedicated by FDR himself in 1932.
  • Harry S. Truman Regional Airport (Lafayette County, Mo.) – A small airfield named for the Missouri-born president.

The Trump renaming adds a living president to that list, a distinction currently shared only by the Clinton airport. The debate over honoring a sitting president echoes broader political divides, as seen in Trump’s recent call for a harsh sentence for former adviser John Bolton. Meanwhile, critics point to the lack of local input, a concern that has also surfaced in other Trump-era policy battles, such as Ohio’s Republican governor breaking with Trump over immigration policy.

As PBI prepares for its new identity, the airport joins a small but notable club of presidential namesakes, each reflecting a piece of American political history.