TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida leaders have voted to bring the nation’s first Donald Trump Presidential Library to downtown Miami — but the project is already sparking backlash, with critics warning it could also include a Trump-branded hotel.
WATCH: Trump Presidential Library planned for downtown Miami, legal fight looms
Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet voted unanimously this week to convey nearly three acres of publicly-owned land in Miami-Dade County for the project. The site sits next to the historic Freedom Tower, a landmark for Cuban exiles.
“It’s a unique opportunity for the state,” DeSantis said during the meeting. “We’re happy to support this motion.”
Attorney General James Uthmeier added that Trump “has a great story to tell” and said Miami’s growing role on the world stage made the location fitting.
Eric Trump, head of the library foundation’s trustees, hailed the Cabinet’s approval in a statement, calling the project a “bold landmark on Miami’s skyline” that would be “one of the most beautiful buildings ever built.” He also contrasted it with what he described as President Obama’s “prison-like” library design.
Pushback Over Land and Transparency
But opponents argue the parcel, appraised at more than $65 million, and currently used as a Miami-Dade College parking lot, was given away without public input.
“Whether this was Donald Trump or whether it was any president, I would not be a fan of anyone acquiring public land without getting public input on what to do with that land,” said State Sen. Shevrin Jones (D-Miami Gardens).
Miami historian and former FIU professor Marvin Dunn said he plans to file a class-action lawsuit challenging the decision. Dunn says the deal was done in the dark and lacks needed transparency.
“I was outraged when I heard about it. I am outraged now. And heartbroken,” Dunn said. “They’re taking land that belongs to our children’s future and giving it to Donald Trump for a library and hotel. This is unacceptable.”
Dunn and other critics point to reporting that the plan includes not just a library, but a Trump-branded hotel on the Biscayne Boulevard property. It’s a move they argue would primarily enrich the president rather than serve the public.
“Trump does not build libraries, he builds hotels,” Dunn said. “And this is a giveaway.”
Cabinet Members Dismiss Criticism
Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia dismissed allegations the Cabinet’s approval was politically motivated.
“So do those same people say there are no presidential libraries anywhere else in the United States? It’s hogwash,” Ingoglia said. “People just don’t like that President Trump is standing up fiercely for the American people, and they’re going to push back. That’s political.”
What’s Next
If completed, the Miami project would be the first presidential library built in Florida — and the first affiliated with a state college. Supporters argue that it will spur economic development and provide opportunities for Miami-Dade College students, while a lawsuit from opponents could slow or block construction.
Dunn planned to file his legal challenge within the week.
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