Republicans propose renaming Dulles airport after Trump as ‘symbol of freedom’

Dulles airport should be renamed for Donald Trump, a Republican co-sponsor of a bill to do so said, because there would be “no better symbol of freedom, prosperity and strength”.

Guy Reschenthaler of Pennsylvania told Fox News Digital: “In my lifetime, our nation has never been greater than under the leadership of President Donald J Trump.

“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.”

The bill stands no chance of becoming law, given Democratic control of the Senate and White House, but it could cause embarrassment if Republican House leaders give it a vote. Reschenthaler is chief deputy whip.

Dulles is a major international airport in Virginia, not far from central Washington. It is named for John Foster Dulles, who was US secretary of state under a Republican president, Dwight Eisenhower, between 1953 and 1959.

Trump was president between 2017 and 2021, leaving office amid the Covid pandemic and with the US Capitol strewn with smashed glass and human feces after his supporters attacked it, a riot meant to stop certification of Joe Biden’s election victory and now linked to nine deaths and more than 1,200 arrests.

Notwithstanding a second impeachment for inciting an insurrection, 88 criminal charges (for election subversion, retention of classified information and hush-money payments) and multimillion-dollar civil penalties (for tax fraud and defamation arising from a rape allegation a judge called “substantially true”), Trump is now the presumptive Republican nominee to face Biden again.

Reschenthaler is one of seven House Republicans listed as sponsors of the bill to rename Dulles for Trump. The others are Chuck Fleischmann and Andy Ogles of Tennesee, Paul Gosar of Arizona, Barry Moore of Alabama, Troy Nehls of Texas and Michael Waltz of Florida.

Moore said: “In 1998, Congress renamed the National airport in Washington after one of our great presidents, Ronald Reagan.”

Reagan is actually in Virginia.

Moore continued: “It is only fitting that we would do the same for another one of our greatest presidents, Donald J Trump, especially as he stands against the onslaught of weaponised government to fight for Americans like us.”

Rejoinders were swift.

Don Beyer, a House Democrat from Virginia, said: “One of Trump’s first acts as president was a racist Muslim ban that blocked permanent American residents from their own country. I went to Dulles to try to help innocent people caught up in the chaos. I remember grandparents detained for hours as their terrified families waited.

“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. 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.”

Gerry Connolly, a Democrat who represents part of Dulles, said: “Donald Trump is facing [88] felony charges. If Republicans want to name something after him, I’d suggest they find a federal prison.”