In response to Republican efforts to rename Washington, D.C.’s main international airport after former President Trump, Congressional Democrats are seeking to rename a federal prison in South Florida after him. The Miami Federal Correctional Institution, a low-security facility for male inmates, would be redesignated as the Donald J. Trump Federal Correctional Institution under the proposed measure introduced by Reps. Gerry Connolly, Jared Moskowitz, and John Garamendi. This move comes in response to legislation introduced by Rep. Guy Reschenthaler and backed by six other House Republicans to rename Washington Dulles International Airport as Donald J. Trump International Airport.
Connolly stated that renaming a federal prison is a more fitting option than renaming an airport after Trump, given his legal troubles. Trump is facing nearly 100 felony charges, has been found liable of sexual abuse and defamation, and has been fined hundreds of millions of dollars in a civil fraud case. Connolly believes it is only right that the federal prison closest to Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida residence, should bear his name. Moskowitz pointed out that while Trump often puts his name on his buildings in gold letters, he has never had his name on a federal building before.
Reschenthaler, who introduced the legislation to rename Washington Dulles International Airport after Trump, cited the former president’s energy and economic record, border policies that led to historically low illegal immigration figures, and his stance against China and support of Israel as reasons for honoring him in this way. He believes that there is no better symbol of freedom, prosperity, and strength than having an airport named after Trump. The proposal has not yet received commitments from Reschenthaler’s office or the Trump campaign.
Trump is currently facing multiple criminal charges across four indictments, including election interference allegations in Georgia, a hush-money trial in New York for falsifying business records, and allegations in Florida related to mishandling classified documents. Despite these legal challenges, his supporters continue to push for symbols of tribute to his presidency, such as renaming an airport after him. The debate over renaming federal facilities in honor of public figures remains contentious, with both Democrats and Republicans making their cases for or against these proposals in Congress.
