Former President Trump disembarking his plane on June 13, 2023. Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images.
A group of House Republicans led by a member of GOP leadership is introducing a bill to rename D.C.’s Washington Dulles International Airport after former President Trump.
Why it matters: It’s a display of the deference many congressional Republicans have for the presumptive GOP presidential nominee.
Driving the news: The two-page bill seeks to rename the airport to the “Donald J. Trump International Airport” and require all government documents to refer to it as such.
- The airport is currently named for John Foster Dulles, a former secretary of state under President Dwight Eisenhower who fought against communism during the early stages of the Cold War.
- The bill was first reported by Fox News Tuesday.
Between the lines: The proposal is sure to get resounding pushback from Democrats in the House should it get a vote on the floor — a risk given Republicans’ razor-thin majority.
- “Donald Trump is facing 91 felony charges. If Republicans want to name something after him, I’d suggest they find a federal prison,” said Rep. Gerry Connolly, a Democrat who represents part of Dulles.
- Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), whose Northern Virginia district is nearby Dulles, pointed to detentions that took place at Dulles after Trump implemented his infamous Muslim travel ban shortly after taking office in 2017.
Zoom in: The measure led by Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pa.), House Republicans’ chief deputy whip, is backed by a half dozen of his colleagues.
- The co-sponsors: Reps. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) and Troy Nehls (R-Texas).
What they’re saying: “As millions of domestic and international travelers fly through the airport, there is no better symbol of freedom, prosperity, and strength than hearing ‘Welcome to Trump International Airport’ as they land on American soil,” Reschenthaler said in a statement.
- Nehls told Axios: “I totally support the remaining of Dulles airport to the greatest President in my lifetime, DJT.”
- “I can see no more fitting recognition than naming both airports in our nation’s capital after America’s two best presidents: DCA after President Reagan and Dulles after President Trump,” said Gosar.
The other side: “I remember Republicans like those who wrote this bill hiding and giving mealy mouthed responses when asked about the suffering Trump’s Muslim ban caused,” Beyer said in a post on X.
- “They know Dulles will never be renamed after Trump. Again, that’s not the point, the point is to suck up to their Dear Leader.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional details and context.