Florida Airport and Tennessee Bridge Both Renamed After Trump in a Single Day

In a striking show of tribute, an airport renamed after Trump made headlines on the same day a Tennessee bridge received the same honor. On Thursday, officials in Palm Beach, Florida, and Dandridge, Tennessee, unveiled new signage celebrating the president, who has long shown a fondness for attaching his name to everything from federal buildings to discount drug programs. The timing was notable, coming just weeks after his name was stripped from the Kennedy Center in Washington.

A New Name in the Florida Skies

The next time President Donald Trump flies to Mar-a-Lago, he’ll touch down at an airport bearing his own name. Airport officials confirmed that Palm Beach International Airport has officially become President Donald J. Trump International Airport.

The change traces back to March, when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law authorizing the renaming. Trump celebrated the moment on social media, calling it a great honor and predicting the facility would soon rank among the most spectacular airports anywhere in the world.

A Bridge in Tennessee Joins the Tribute

Earlier that same day, a separate ceremony took place in Tennessee. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent spoke at the unveiling of what is now the President Donald J. Trump Bridge, located in Jefferson County.

The structure was previously known as the Francis Burnett Swann Memorial Bridge. The renaming stems from a law passed by the state Legislature last year, which redesignated multiple bridges and roads in the president’s honor. Speaking at the event, Bessent said that from that day forward, every driver crossing the bridge would see Trump’s name, framing it as a reflection of the president’s ongoing fight for the people who travel it.

The Cost and Timeline of the Airport Transition

Renaming the Florida airport is no small undertaking. According to its website, the effort will cost at least $5.5 million and will involve updates to signage, branding, and other materials over the coming weeks.

The airport acknowledged the scale of the change, explaining that it had entered “transition mode” and was working behind the scenes to update its physical signage, terminal spaces, and digital channels. Officials cautioned that a full transformation wouldn’t happen overnight, meaning travelers would likely see a mix of the airport’s classic look and its new branding coexisting throughout the terminal for several weeks.

Trademarks, First Flights, and a New Airport Code

The rebranding also involved legal and logistical steps. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office approved the Trump family’s request to trademark the new name, and the airport’s website notes that it entered into an agreement with the family regarding the trademark.

Some key details surrounding the transition include:

• Trump Force One, the private jet used during his campaign, was the first plane to land at the airport following the official name change, touching down at 5:01 a.m. ET.
• Eric Trump, one of the president’s sons, praised the honor, saying no one had done more for Florida and the country, and noting his pride at seeing the initials “DJT” on his boarding pass as a frequent flyer from the airport.
• The airport’s three-letter code will remain “PBI” for now, with the switch to “DJT” scheduled to take effect on August 18.

A Contrast With the Kennedy Center

The fresh signage in Florida and Tennessee arrived just weeks after a very different development in Washington. Trump’s name had been added to the Kennedy Center in December, a move that triggered a monthslong court battle. That dispute ultimately ended with a federal judge ordering that all references to Trump be removed from both the center and its website.

The juxtaposition is hard to miss: as his name came down in one prominent location, it went up in two others on the very same day.

The Bottom Line

The decision to have an airport renamed after Trump, alongside a newly named bridge in Tennessee, underscores the president’s well-documented tendency to leave his name on public landmarks. While supporters framed the honors as fitting recognition of his contributions, the timing, so soon after the Kennedy Center reversal, added an unmistakable layer of contrast. As the Palm Beach airport works through its costly transition toward the “DJT” code this August, both projects stand as lasting, physical symbols of the president’s enduring imprint on the American landscape.