Travelers at the newly minted “President Donald J. Trump International Airport” have trashed the “egotistical grift” behind the name change.
Palm Beach International Airport got its new name as part of a wider legacy-building expedition that has seen Trump embark on a MAGA makeover around D.C. and further afield.
Trump, 80, has tried and failed to rename the Kennedy Center after himself and has left permanent reminders of his presidency all over the capital. See: His ugly arch, eyesore ballroom, tacky Oval Office, Trumpy resort-style Rose Garden, and algae-infested Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
With the help of MAGA cheerleader Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, he has succeeded in splashing his name all over the airport, too. DeSantis, 47, signed the renaming bill in March, and on Thursday, the site, roughly five miles from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, ditched its longtime PBI code and adopted DJT.
Eric Trump brushed off the backlash to the renaming, calling the $2.75 million rebrand only “slightly controversial” during a cozy chat on Fox & Friends.
But not everyone agrees with that assessment. MS NOW spoke to travelers at the new-look airport on Thursday, and not everyone was happy with what the network called Trump’s “egotistical grift.”
“I think it’s disgusting, ridiculous, pompous, and a lot of other bad things,” Florida resident Pat Brown said.
Workers replaced an Interstate 95 exit sign near the airport early Thursday, swapping it for one with the airport’s new name. On the new signage, Brown added, “It makes me sick every time I even see the sign on 95.”
Florida resident Phyllis Malmuth told MS NOW that she is perturbed by Trump smacking his name all over the place. “I resent that the name is on every institution that we have, this included,” she said.
Palm Beach County still owns the airport, though Trump owns the trademark on the new name. While he won’t make money directly from the airport, he still stands to gain.
Although the deal bars direct payments for merchandise sold inside the airport, Trump’s company would choose which vendors produce and sell branded products, while retaining the right to sell the same merchandise elsewhere, including through the Trump Organization’s own online store.
The agreement also lets Trump license the airport’s name to third parties, monetize the trademark outside the airport, and maintain final approval over how his name, image, and likeness are used in displays and promotional materials.
The so-called “Trump Force One” was the first flight to touch down at the newly-named airport. It carried Trump’s son Eric and his wife, Bettina Anderson Trump, as well as officials. It touched down shortly after 5 a.m. on Thursday.
“There’s probably no one that’s flown into this airport more times than Donald Trump,” Eric Trump told The Palm Beach Post. “I think he deserves this honor.”
The White House has been contacted for comment.
