'Unserious and delusional': GOP’s bill to rename VA airport after Trump brutally mocked
After spending two weeks back home with their constituents, Republican members of Congress returned to Washington after the Easter recess to file a bill proposing to rename one of Washington, DC's two airports after former President Donald Trump.
Politico reported Tuesday that Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pennsylvania) sponsored a bill with roughly half a dozen other Republicans to change the name of the John Foster Dulles airport in northern Virginia — named for a former Secretary of State — to "Donald J. Trump International Airport." The full text of Reschenthaler's bill is just over one page long.
House Democrats who are from the areas adjacent to the airport were dismissive of the legislation. Rep. Gerry Connelly (D-Virginia) tweeted: "Donald Trump is facing 91 felony charges. If Republicans want to name something after him, I'd suggest they find a federal prison." Outgoing Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Virginia), whose district includes the airport, told Politico that the bill demonstrates "how unserious and delusional [Republicans] are."
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"Let's get to work on the real issues the American people sent us here for, not renaming an airport after someone who sought to undermine our democracy," Wexton said.
Others on X (formerly Twitter) laughed off Reschenthaler's bill. Comedian Paula Poundstone tweeted that she would rather "fly into Richmond, Virginia and walk to DC, before I would ever fly into an airport named after Trump." Progressive influencer Betty Bowers wondered if "The Twice Impeached Adulterous Divorced Often-Indicted RICO Rapist Airport” was too long of a name. Bestselling author Harry Turtledove referenced a gaffe Trump made on the campaign trail in which he said American revolutionaries "took over the airports" from English colonists in June of 1775.
"If the t-----licking Trumpanzees wanna name airports after the Tangerine S---gibbon, let them find the ones he said the Continental Army took over from the British during the Revolution," Turtledove wrote.
However, others seemed more warm to the idea, given Dulles' reputation as one of the most unpleasant airports in the US for travelers. Anti-Trump conservative attorney George Conway tweeted that he would "definitely vote to name a few Superfund sites after him," in reference to the Environmental Protection Agency's program for toxic waste cleanup sites. Progressive activist Charlotte Clymer wrote she would actually be in favor of the bill, "because everyone I know hates Dulles and avoids it at all costs."
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"Dulles is an old, ugly airport that no one wants to see. So I think this is a fitting tribute to 45," Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pennsylvania) tweeted.
Podcast host Fred Wellman was less enthusiastic, lamenting about Republicans' legislative priorities given the dire state of affairs around the world.
"Ukrainians are dying. Israel and Gaza both suffer. We are now on a permanent continuing resolution. What does the @HouseGOP want to do? Rename Dulles Airport for Trump," he tweeted. "Are you tired of constant failure by the Republicans in the House? Tired of the stupidity?"
Journalist Matthew Gertz was more direct, simply tweeting "It's a cult" in response to the GOP's deference for Trump.
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