Fawning Florida Republicans want to put Trump's name on Palm Beach airport

Just when you thought Florida could not get weirder...

You can’t make this stuff up.

Just when you thought Republicans in Florida could not possibly be more servile, more fawning, more willing to bow down to the convicted felon in the White House, they find a new way.

They seem to be asking themselves: You can’t flatter Donald Trump enough, so what else can we do?

Well, senators in the state Legislature have figured out a way.

A bill began moving through the committee process in Tallahassee today that would give the State of Florida the authority to rename airports. And the one they have in mind is in Palm Beach County, where Trump’s top-secret-document depository, Mar-a-Lago, is located.

Welcome to the Donald J. Trump International Airport in Palm Beach.

If this bill makes its way through both chambers of the Legislature and to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk for signature, that is.

But what’s the alternative?

Is anyone in the Republican Party, which controls state government top-to-bottom, going to have the intestinal fortitude—or, for that matter, the decency—to try to block this now that it’s been announced?

Can you just imagine the Felon-in-Chief’s reaction (not to mention retribution) if it isn’t approved?

Here’s the latest from reporter Jim Turner of the News Service of Florida:

Florida lawmakers started moving forward Tuesday with a proposal that would give the state the power to put President Donald Trump’s name on a Palm Beach County airport, next to a road they renamed after him.

The Senate Transportation Committee unanimously backed a bill (SB 706) that would give authority to the state to name the seven major commercial service airports in Florida … with the only change currently proposed being Palm Beach International Airport becoming Donald J. Trump International Airport.

“As you know, President Trump is the first president that Florida has had in our country and our history, and I think it’s very appropriate for us to be naming one of the other icons in Palm Beach County after him,” bill sponsor Debbie Mayfield, R-Indialantic, said, referring to Trump being a Palm Beach County resident.

Text of the bill says it would allow the state to preempt local control for “the naming of major commercial service airports to the state; providing names for major commercial service airports; providing that such airport names continue to be valid under certain circumstances; requiring the Department of Transportation to annually review provisions naming major commercial service airports for a certain purpose…”

All this would be subject to approval of the Federal Aviation Administration, led by Trump appointee Bryan Bedford, so no worries there.

But the people of Palm Beach County, apparently, would have no say.

Just as a reminder: The Republican Party used to be the party that trumpeted its support for local control. That was then. This is now.

And this Trump airport bill is hardly the only one of its kind. Another bill in the State Legislature (HB113) would require all the state’s universities to name at least one street after the murdered right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.

Because, you know, if the Legislature didn’t mandate it, it wouldn’t happen.

That would be called democracy, and we can’t have any of that.

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.

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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.

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J.C. Bruce

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