Why I Named An International Airport After President Trump

America has a strange habit of waiting until its leaders are gone before deciding they are worthy of honor.

We name buildings after them; place their portraits on our walls; and speak about their courage, accomplishments, and place in history; but by the time we do, the person being honored is no longer here to see it.

We shouldn’t wait.

That is why I sponsored the legislation renaming Palm Beach International Airport as President Donald J. Trump International Airport.

President Trump is the first president in American history to call Florida home. Palm Beach County is not simply a place he visits or a state he carried in an election: It is his community.

In Palm Beach, President Trump has built a life, loved his family, created jobs, and returned to call the county home after serving his first term as commander in chief.

His connection to the iconic Florida coast is real, lasting, and unlike that of any other president.

President Trump’s influence impacts the lives of the county’s residents too.

Like me, for example.

President Trump’s common sense, resolve to stand by his convictions, and motivation to challenge an establishment that had stopped listening to everyday Americans inspired me to follow in his footsteps.

Watching him place America first made me realize that regular people cannot remain on the sidelines; we have to step forward, serve, and make a difference.

People may disagree with President Trump’s policies, style, or political movement, but his positive impact on the American people is undeniable.

The president transformed the Republican Party; reshaped American politics; and made it through impeachments, investigations, prosecutions, attempts to remove him from the ballot, and even an assassin’s bullet—which I believe missed the president because of God’s divine intervention.

When most people would have quit, the challenges only motivated him to move forward. Trump then retook to the presidency with a national mandate, where he delivered for the American people.

The president has secured his place in history. We, as Americans, owe it to him to recognize it while he is still here to receive the honor.

Despite this, critics have continuously tried to portray the airport renaming as a private benefit for the Trump family or the Trump Organization.

That claim is false, and the legislation was written to ensure it could never become true.

Palm Beach County will pay no licensing fees or royalties. President Trump, his family, and the Trump Organization will receive no revenue from the airport’s name.

The Trump Organization permanently waived its trademark rights connected to the airport name and related merchandise.

Trump and his family will not make one dollar.

Even more, if Palm Beach County makes any money from airport merchandise, that money will belong to the county and be reinvested into the community.

I know this because Florida State Rep. Kim Kendall, Florida State Sen. Debbie Mayfield, and I worked with Palm Beach County and the Trump Organization from the beginning to make this legislative effort transparent, protective of taxpayers, and legally sound.

This effort was never about using a public airport to enrich a private business, but about honoring a president while ensuring the public receives the full benefit.

Unfortunately, political debate too often begins with the worst possible assumptions. When the Trump name is involved, adversaries of the president and his family immediately search for self-serving motives or corruption.

However, they forget that public officials have a responsibility to look past the noise and ask a more basic question: Is this good for the people we represent?

In this case, the answer is yes.

President Donald J. Trump International Airport will bear one of the world’s most recognized names, one already inseparable from Palm Beach County. Travelers from all corners of the world associate Florida, Palm Beach, and Mar-a-Lago with President Trump.

That recognition has value.

In recent years, Palm Beach County has been growing, and its aviation infrastructure should keep pace. There are two additional airports in the county that could accommodate more activity through longer runways, additional hangars, and future investment.

President Donald J. Trump International Airport can become the premier gateway to Palm Beach County and the free state of Florida, strengthening its national and international identity while our other aviation assets expand to serve the region’s growth.

Reasonable people can disagree about whether an airport should bear President Trump’s name. I respect honest disagreement.

But honest disagreement requires honest facts.

Taxpayers are protected. Palm Beach County receives the benefit. The airport gains a globally recognized identity tied directly to the county it serves.

And Florida honors its first president while he is still alive to appreciate it.

I grew up in a home where service was respected and gratitude was expressed while people were still able to receive it.

President Trump has served this country through attacks and opposition that few American leaders have ever faced.

Trump has brought Florida with him to the White House, enshrined Palm Beach County as part of presidential history, and inspired people like me to step forward and serve.

One day, people won’t even know naming this airport for him was ever controversial.

I prefer to be remembered as someone who recognized the moment rather than as someone who was too afraid of political criticism to act.

President Trump deserves the honor. Palm Beach County deserves the opportunity. Taxpayers deserve the protections we secured.

That is why I sponsored the legislation, voted for it, and am proud to stand by it.

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