County commissioners approved a trademark agreement Tuesday, May 5, by a 4-3 vote that was necessary for Palm Beach International Airport to be named after President Donald J. Trump.
The decision followed more than an hour of debate over whether the airport should be named after a sitting president before their White House term is over. Also at issue was the county administration placing the agreement as an agenda item late in the day before the meeting, which left commissioners saying they did not have a lot of time to consider the measure.
“I’m just not comfortable voting on this today,” said Commissioner Gregg Weiss. “I need to make sure our residents are protected.”
Commissioners Bobby Powell Jr. and Joel Flores joined Weiss in voting against the agreement. They also said they did not have enough time to review the 35-page document.
Voting for the trademark agreement were County Mayor Sara Baxter, and commissioners Maria Marino, Maria Sachs and Marci Woodward.
Marino noted that the debate on May 5 should not have been about whether the airport should be renamed after Trump, noting that the Florida Legislature made that decision months ago.
But the discussion during the public hearing did focus on the merits of the name change with 20 county residents expressing their opinions.
State Rep. Kelly Skidmore, a Democrat, drew applause and boos when she suggested that the airport be renamed after either Jimmy Buffet or Lilly Pulitzer, neither of whom, she noted, have 34 felony convictions.
When Skidmore exceeded her allotted time, Baxter tried to cut her off, but she kept speaking. Baxter, a Republican seeking reelection, later criticized those who made disparaging comments about Trump.
Baxter defended the president, saying Trump had made the country safe and brought down the price of oil and gasoline, an assertion that some economists would dispute and that doesn’t match what consumers are paying.
The national average reached $4.52 a gallon for gasoline as of Wednesday, May 5, marking a steady rise since prices crossed the $4 threshold in late March. That level had last been seen in the months following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
As for the trademark agreement itself, County Attorney David Ottey said the document provides adequate protection for the county and ensures that the Trump Organization will not profit off the sale of the Trump brand at the airport.
Airport Director Laura Beebe said that time was tight, noting that the FAA needed the agreement to be approved for it to rename the airport Donald J. Trump International Airport by July 9. The airport, after that date, will be identified by the three-letter code DJT, instead of PBI.
The Florida House and Senate approved the bill renaming the airport in February, shortly after a Trump family–linked private company, DTTM, trademarked the name. Donald Trump Jr. is the president of DTTM.
The agreement contains a new Trump airport logo that features an eagle holding two olive branches in its talons that resembles the presidential seal. The logo is gold, a nod to the golden makeover Trump has given the Oval Office and other parts of the White House since taking office in January 2025. Those logos will be spread throughout the airport.
The agreement specifies the logos, with a few different colors, that the county must use to identify the airport as Donald J. Trump International Airport. The agreement also requires that the logos “be used consistently across all applications” and that “the county not distort or alter proportions.” There also must be adequate spacing around the logos to ensure visibility and impact.
While Trump’s companies agreed not to receive royalties or revenue for the sale of Trump-branded items at the airport, Josh Gerben, a trademark attorney, said the agreement provides an opening for DTTM to sell airport-branded items off-site for profit.
The county is allowed to use Trump’s name, image and biographical information to market and promote the airport, according to the agreement, but Trump’s companies get either to approve or deny any of these uses beforehand.
“I see this as creating a headache for the county,” Gerben said. “Everything has to be run through the Trump Organization.”
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.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: After contentious debate, county airport will be named after Trump
Reporting by Mike Diamond, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
