Palm Beach County rejects Donald Trump's dream of having an airport named after him

Meaghan Ellis
23 January 2021
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Former President Donald Trump has long dreamed of having his name attached to one of the United States' most prominent international airports. His suggestion: Trump International.

However, Palm Beach County has confirmed that the former president's dream will not be coming to fruition at its airport.

According to the Sun-Sentinel, the idea of renaming the airport in honor of Trump was recently touted by Christian Ziegler, who serves as a Sarasota County commissioner and the vice-chairman of the Florida Republican Party. However, County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay has made it clear that she does not support the idea.

During a brief discussion with the publication, McKinlay explained why she, along with five other county commissioners, are not in agreement with the prospect of the airport being renamed after the twice-impeached, one-term president.

"When people hear [Palm Beach], they envision our beaches, our equestrian sports, and in some cases our agricultural contributions," McKinlay said. "It is a lifestyle."

McKinlay also noted that she believes the name Trump International is a name "better-suited for his golf courses, not our airport" as she suggested that Ziegler "stick to renaming his own county facilities, not ours."

The publication notes that Palm Beach County's swift rejection of the idea could be a foreboding of the difficulties Trump could face attempting to have his name displayed on buildings, schools, street signs, and highways in the Southern region of Florida, which is predominantly Democratic-leaning.

While many past presidents have had the honor of their names being attached to buildings, airports, schools, and roads, Robert Watson, a presidential historian and Lynn University professor, explained why Trump will likely face difficulties in his pursuit to be remembered in the same light as his predecessors. According to Watson, Trump's heightened attachment to controversy may be a major obstacle for this type of aspiration.

"I imagine in a couple of years when there's talk about renaming [things] for him — Trump could be the outlier, the anomaly, "Watson said. "He was so controversial. He generates such controversy that it's hard to imagine anyone wanting to touch it."

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