Conservatives should name Palm Beach airport for Epstein victim, not Trump | Opinion
The Florida Legislature is moving to rename Palm Beach County’s airport after President Donald Trump. For many Republicans and conservatives, this may seem like a natural gesture of loyalty and appreciation.
But before such a decision is made, it is worth asking a simple question rooted in conservative values: What message does this send about our duty to protect children, uphold moral responsibility and stand for truth?
Palm Beach County was the center of the criminal enterprise built by sex trafficking pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. This was not merely a scandal. It was a systematic abuse of vulnerable teenage girls — many from broken homes, many without strong family support and all deserving protection. If there is one principle conservatives have long defended, it is the responsibility to protect the innocent and defend the vulnerable.
Law and order, personal responsibility and family values are not slogans. They should be core convictions. When those principles are tested, we must apply them consistently, even when doing so is uncomfortable.
By his own words, Trump once said that “everyone has known” what Epstein was doing. That statement raises deeply troubling moral questions. If everyone knew, why did so few speak? Why did so few act? Silence in the face of the abuse of children is not a partisan issue. It is a moral one.
Conservatives rightly argue that evil flourishes when good people remain silent. The failure to confront wrongdoing — especially when children are at risk — is not compatible with the values of faith, family and responsibility that define the Republican Party at its best.
Across the world, powerful individuals and institutions are being scrutinized for their proximity to Epstein. This reckoning reflects a basic truth: influence and wealth do not excuse willful blindness. In fact, they impose a greater obligation to act. Leadership is measured not by power, but by courage.
Florida has an opportunity to lead. Instead of turning this moment into a political gesture, the state can turn it into a moral one. Naming a public airport after any political figure — Republican or Democrat — will inevitably divide. But honoring a survivor unites.
Longtime Palm Beach County resident and Epstein victim, the late Virginia Giuffre demonstrated extraordinary courage in confronting powerful abusers and exposing a global network of exploitation. She represents resilience, personal responsibility and the strength to stand up for truth even when the odds are overwhelming. Those could be considered deeply conservative virtues.
Naming the airport in her honor would send a powerful message: that Florida stands with victims, not the powerful; with truth, not silence; with families, not exploitation. It would tell every parent in America that protecting children is more important than political loyalty.
This is not about re-litigating the past. It is about setting a standard for the future. Conservatives often speak about restoring moral clarity in our culture. This is a chance to demonstrate that commitment in a real and meaningful way.
It would also reinforce a principle that Republicans have long championed: that character matters. We teach our children that integrity means doing what is right, even when it is difficult. Our public decisions should reflect the same standard. In a time of deep political division, Florida can rise above partisanship and show that some values remain non-negotiable. Protecting children is one of them. Speaking out against abuse is one of them. Honoring courage over power is one of them.
The question is not whether Republicans or Democrats win a symbolic victory. The question is whether Florida demonstrates moral leadership. By choosing to honor Virginia Giuffre, Florida would affirm that when it comes to defending the innocent, there is no red or blue — only right and wrong. And naming it for Virginia Giuffre would remind us that no parent should remain silent when another parent’s child is being abused.
Mitchell Berger is a South Florida based attorney. He’s a longtime Democratic fundraiser and chairman of Democrat David Jolly’s gubernatorial campaign.