Legal Challenge to Airport Renaming
A Democratic congressional candidate has taken legal action to prevent the rebranding of Palm Beach International Airport, which is set to be renamed after former President Donald Trump. Victoria Doyle, who is running for the 23rd Congressional District, claims that the renaming is unconstitutional and has filed a lawsuit in a county courthouse.
In March, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a law allowing the state to rename seven major airports, including Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), which will now be known as “President Donald J. Trump International Airport.” This move comes as the president frequently uses the airport when traveling to and from his Mar-a-Lago resort nearby.
The rebranding, along with associated upgrades, is expected to cost approximately $5.5 million, according to The Palm Beach Post. Doyle’s lawsuit aims to halt the renaming process until another case, filed by pilot George W. Poncy Jr., is resolved. Poncy’s lawsuit argues that the name change could pose safety risks and cause confusion for pilots and air traffic controllers.
“I don’t want the county to spend any taxpayer money on renaming the airport until the merits of Mr. Poncy’s lawsuit are decided,” Doyle said in an interview with The Palm Beach Post. She urged the county to stop all actions related to the renaming, including signage changes.
Doyle, a native New Yorker and trademark attorney, moved to Palm Beach in 2015. Her campaign website notes that she left her law practice in April 2025 to run for office after years of activism and frustration with Congress.
Florida Republicans have supported DeSantis’ decision to rename the airport, with one calling it a “historic recognition” of a president who “made Florida his home and saved our great Nation.” On the other hand, Democrats have criticized the move as a waste of taxpayer funds that could have been used to support working families.
Trump himself, who is officially a Florida resident, has praised the name change. “We have a lot of things in store,” he said earlier this month. “A lot of tremendous elements are going to be added, making it bigger and better. I don’t think there’ll be anything as good as your airport will be anywhere in the country.”
Trademark Considerations
Before the law mandating the name change was enacted, the Trump family company filed to trademark the airport name, according to The New York Times. Under the agreement, the family will not profit from branded goods sold within the airport, but they could sell airport merchandise elsewhere for a profit.
Since the 79-year-old Republican returned to office, several organizations have been renamed after him. In December, the White House announced that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts would be called the Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. The same month, the U.S. Institute of Peace was renamed the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace.
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