‘Pedo Boulevard?’ Donald Trump renames yet another place after himself, but everybody hated that place anyway

The boulevard that runs from Florida’s Palm Beach International Airport toward Mar-a-Lago has officially been renamed… President Donald J. Trump Boulevard.

Trump celebrated the renaming publicly as an “amazing gesture” and proudly unveiled the new sign. Trump claimed he’s “tremendously honored” and called the road a “very important stretch.” This adds to a growing list of things Trump has attached his name to, including last month’s Trump-Kennedy Center.

But unlike the Trump-Kennedy Center, the boulevard renaming doesn’t bother people much. Trump’s infamous Mar-a-Lago has been under a bad light anyway after the release of Epstein’s case files, so why not underline his connections to a place that’s becoming a byword for child abuse?

Now, the renaming has given people another reason to steer clear of the place. But that didn’t stop social media users from taking jabs at the announcement. One user on X wrote, “Bet a vast majority of people will do everything they can to avoid that road.” Another added, “Epstein likely also traveled that same road. Where are the rest of the files?”

Nobody was sentimental about the boulevard to begin with

A majority of comments folded in long-running public criticism of Trump’s associations and unanswered questions surrounding the Epstein files. One mocked, “Is the new name ‘pedophile protector’ boulevard?” While another added, “A street named after a pedophile, how exciting, not.”

Most comments were accusatory, angry, and intentionally provocative. They reflect how poisonous Trump’s public image has become. Yet, here we are, renaming public streets after such a figure. But what makes Trump’s renaming movement even more absurd is the timing.

It’s true that cities rename streets after presidents all the time. But it’s usually after they leave office and some historical distance has settled. But Trump has been dedicated to putting his name on everything while he remains politically active and under constant scrutiny. This doesn’t symbolize service, but his ego. As one user puts it, “He thinks he’s a f—king Pharaoh.”

Pharaohs carved their names into stone because they believed permanence validated power. But chances are, Trump’s name will be wiped off everything as soon as his party loses power. Which might be sooner than we think, judging by the GOP’s actions.

But the less poetic truth of the boulevard is that the road itself was never beloved. So, Trump slapping his name on the sign isn’t half bad, if we ignore the ego-boost he’s getting.