As the price of gas soars, Trump now has an airport named for him. and here's a peek at his planned Miami presidential library

News and commentary for Floridians and other Americans

In the news: Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill to change the name of Palm Beach International Airport to the Donald J. Trump International Airport. Trump has revealed plans for his Miami presidential library that include a huge and tacky gold statue of himself. And the price of gas has topped $4 a gallon.

Soon, when you pull up to the pump, you’ll be able to use your crisp, new Trump-autographed dollar bills to pay for your gas.

But you’ll need a lot of them. This morning, the Associated Press shared the news that the average price of gasoline nationwide has now topped $4 a gallon.

It’s actually been higher than that in many locations for a while. I paid $4.15 in the Florida Panhandle a couple weeks ago on a return trip to Florida from the frozen wastelands of Ohio.

Most people don’t use cash anymore at the gas station, of course, and in what appears to me to be a glaring oversight, there’s no such thing — yet — as a Trump Gold Gas Card.

With our president’s obsession over naming everything after himself, this seems like a missed opportunity. But, of course, there’s the other TrumpGoldCard, the visa (as opposed to Visa) for rich (mostly white) people to immigrate into the United States.

So, maybe it’s just a matter of time.

Trump certainly does love to see his name on everything, and it’s fascinating to see how fawning politicians—including former political opponents like Gov. Ron DeSantis—seem to trip over themselves to satisfy his narcissistic obsessions.

DeSantis, for instance, on Monday signed a bill passed by the Florida Legislature to rename Palm Beach County’s airport after our doddering 79-year-old commander-in-chief.

It was also through a DeSantis-appointed board that several prime acres of land in downtown Miami have been transferred to Trump’s foundation to be the site of his presidential library, which, as you would imagine, will include very few bookshelves.

But it will include a gleaming gold statue of himself, gold elevators beside an Air Force One in the lobby, and, of course, a huge, gaudy TRUMP sign atop the skyscraper.

Here are some AI-generated images just released by His Majesty:

The land this self-aggrandizing temple to Trump’s vanity will be built upon could have been sold for millions of dollars that could have been used for the benefit of students at Miami Dade College, the previous owner.

But DeSantis and his cronies just gave it away. Don’t you just love how Republicans preach fiscal responsibility then make boneheaded moves like this?

It is curious that our lame-duck governor is so slavishly trying to earn back Trump’s favor after challenging him for the Republican presidential nomination.

You think DeSantis, who soon will be out of work, might be fishing for a job?

J.C. Bruce is the founder of Tropic Press, a Florida online news service dedicated to sharing news and commentary relevant to Florida readers, whether it originates in the Sunshine State or elsewhere. Bruce is an award-winning former newspaper editor, journalist and author living in Florida, his native state.

Onward thru the fog

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you are a rational person living in the Free State of Florida, but there are plenty of smart, reasonable people just like you here. The purpose of this newsletter and the Tropic Press website is to provide a source of news and commentary that shines a light through this irrational fog.

Thank you for your support as a subscriber. It is invaluable. This is especially so for those of you who have chosen to upgrade to paid subscriptions. Your contributions are making this possible.

J.C. Bruce

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