By Nandita Bose
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida, Jan 16 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump marked the ceremonial renaming of a roadway near his private club in Palm Beach, Florida, the latest addition to a growing list of buildings, programs, and initiatives branded with his name since he returned to office in January.
State lawmakers approved giving an honorary new name to part of Southern Boulevard, a road linking Palm Beach International Airport to Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s private club and residence. The road is frequently used by the president’s motorcade when traveling between the airport and the property.
Trump said he was “tremendously honored” by the recognition. “I’ll remember this amazing gesture for the rest of my life,” he said, speaking at the event held at Mar-a-Lago.
The name change does not alter official addresses, emergency response systems, or government maps, county commissioners told local news outlets.
Since taking office again a year ago, the president’s name has been attached to high-profile Washington buildings, a proposed new class of Navy warships, a visa initiative for affluent foreign nationals, a government-run prescription drug website, and federal savings accounts for children.
Washington has many buildings and monuments named for presidents, but these honors typically came long after they left office and are usually national tributes, often authorized by Congress.
On Thursday, Trump accepted the Nobel Peace Prize medal from Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado during a White House meeting. The White House said he intends to keep the medal, though the Norwegian Nobel Committee said the prize cannot be transferred, shared or revoked.
Some historians view it as a superficial attempt by the president to cement his legacy, one that may ultimately prove short-lived.
Opposition has surfaced over the renaming of Washington’s leading performing arts venue as the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, prompting several performers to withdraw in protest.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose in West Palm Beach, Florida; Editing by Sergio Non, Rod Nickel)
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