Feb. 20, 2026, 11:51 a.m. ET
- The Trump Organization has offered to let Palm Beach County International Airport use Donald Trump’s name for free if it is renamed.
- The proposed renaming could cost nearly $6 million, with state senators considering a $5.5 million appropriation to cover the expenses.
Some Florida lawmakers are concerned that taxpayers will be on the hook if the state moves forward with a plan to rename Palm Beach County International Airport after President Donald Trump.
The Florida House this month approved a bill to rename the airport “Donald J. Trump International Airport.” But after the Trump Organization recently filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to register the trademark “President Donald J. Trump International Airport,” some opponents of the move wondered whether the president might ultimately profit from the renaming. The filing also registered a trademark for “DJT,” a reference to the president’s initials that could be used as the airport code if the name is changed.
The Trump Organization said it will allow Palm Beach County International Airport to use President Donald Trump’s name “at no charge” if the airport is renamed after him.
In a statement, The Trump Organization said the president and his family will not receive any royalty, licensing fee or financial consideration whatsoever from the proposed airport renaming. It noted that the airport renaming bill currently under consideration in the Florida Legislature requires a license agreement from The Trump Organization, allowing Palm Beach County to use his name for the airport.
The statement added that the family enterprise has always been willing to provide this right to the president’s hometown county at no charge. In January, the 4-mile stretch of Southern Boulevard was renamed “President Donald J. Trump Boulevard.”
Critics of the filing have argued that it appears to be an effort by the Trump Organization to profit from renaming landmarks after the president, as holding a trademark typically allows someone to license its use for a fee.
State Rep. Meg Weinberger, R-Palm Beach Gardens, a long-time Trump supporter, told The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Network, that she received personal assurances that Trump and his family will not profit off the PBIA name change.
“I don’t understand why this continues to be an issue,” she said, noting that the bill, which she sponsored, contains language that grants Palm Beach County “the perpetual and unrestricted right to use the name ‘President Donald J. Trump International Airport,’ ” as well as reasonable abbreviations “at no cost” for signage, advertising, marketing, merchandising, and promotions and for the branding of the airport and its operations.
The Trump Organization, in its statement, also referenced the legislation that requires a license agreement from The Trump Organization allowing Palm Beach County to use the president’s name for the airport.
Still, state Rep. Kelly Skidmore. D-Boca Raton, has questioned why The Trump Organization would go to the trouble of trademarking “President Donald J. Trump International Airport” if the organization was not going to make money off it. She acknowledged the bill says he won’t get money for the merchandising, but said he could still charge the county a license fee.
And U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, a West Palm Beach Democrat, said the effort to rename the airport without community input is wrong.
“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,” Frankel said in a prepared statement.
“Decisions about naming major infrastructure should wait until after an honoree’s service has concluded – and should include meaningful input from the local residents and communities most directly affected.”
As for why The Trump Organization filed for the trademark, the company said the Trump name is the most infringed trademark in the world. The move aims to protect the name for Palm Beach County and Florida, preventing misuse or infringement by bad actors, the company added.
On Feb. 19, the Florida Senate approved the airport’s renaming in a bill that included an appropriation of $5.5 million to cover the rebranding costs. If the funding measure does not pass, the airport would need to cover the costs from within its own budget.
The proposed renaming is consistent with a long, historical precedent of naming airports after U.S. presidents and other Americans who have made significant contributions to our nation, according to the Trump Organization. The president regularly spends weekends at his Mar-a-Lago residence and club after flying Air Force One into PBIA.
An airport in Queens, New York, was renamed John F. Kennedy Airport following JFK’s 1963 assassination; one of Washington, D.C.’s area airports is now known as Ronald Reagan National Airport; and one in Houston was renamed George Bush Intercontinental Airport in honor of the 41st president.
Still, some Florida lawmakers said the move should wait at least until after President Trump leaves office.
Contributing: Zach Wichter, USA TODAY
Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today.
