Furious Democrats on Tuesday pushed back hard against a Republican proposal to rename Dulles International Airport after former President Donald Trump.
Lawmakers from northern Virginia and elsewhere derisively mocked the plan introduced by GOP colleagues to slap the name of the twice impeached, four times indicted president on the main international airport serving Washington, D.C.
“Donald Trump is facing 91 felony charges. If Republicans want to name something after him, I’d suggest they find a federal prison,” Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly said in a statement.
Rep. Don Beyer, D-Virginia, said the effort to valorize Trump reflects his authoritarian grip on the Republican Party, which he compared to that of North Korean strongman Kim Jong-un.
“They know our airport will never be named after Trump,” Beyer said. “The point is to suck up to their Dear Leader.”
DEVELOPING: House Republicans have introduced legislation that would rename Dulles International Airport to “Donald J. Trump International Airport”
Notable- I don’t see any Virginia lawmakers listed as sponsors or even co-sponsors. pic.twitter.com/PCqVx1ABxl
— Simone De Alba (@Simone_DeAlba) April 2, 2024
The two-page bill introduced by Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, a member of the GOP House leadership serving Pennsylvania’s 14th District, would officially rename Dulles to Donald J. Trump International Airport
“As millions 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.
Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Peters, has introduced a bill to rename Dulles Airport after former President Donald Trump. Said there will be no greater feeling for travelers hearing “Welcome to Trump International Airport” upon arrival. Reschenthaler is chief deputy whip of House GOP pic.twitter.com/1of65uCKm7
— Ryan Deto (@RyanDeto) April 2, 2024
So far, six far right-wing GOP lawmakers have co-sponsored the bill — Reps. Michael Waltz of Florida, Andy Ogles of Tennessee, Charles Fleischmann of Tennessee, Paul Gosar of Arizona, Barry Moore of Alabama and Troy Nehls of Texas.
The bill has virtually no chance of becoming law; it would have to pass the evenly divided House of Representatives and would be unlikely to even get a vote in the Democratic-led Senate. President Biden would need to sign the bill even if it were to somehow pass Congress.
The Washington, D.C., area already has one airport named after a Republican ex-president. Former President Bill Clinton in 1998 signed into law a measure naming Washington National Airport after Ronald Reagan.
Rep. Jennifer Wexton, a retiring Democrat whose northern Virginia district includes Dulles, said the bill shows how “unserious” Republicans are about actually getting work done.
“Let’s get to work on the real issues the American people sent us here for, not renaming an airport after someone who sought to undermine our democracy,” Wexton said.
