A woman from Flagler County, Jen Herold — a self-described homeschool mom with a doctorate in occupational therapy — launched a petition in November 2025 to carve out a roughly 60-mile stretch of barrier islands along Florida’s Atlantic coast and turn it into a county named “Trump County.”

The proposed county would include islands currently part of St. Johns County, Flagler County, and Volusia County — spanning from St. Augustine Beach down to Ponce Inlet (that’s roughly the coast from the far northeast of Florida down toward Daytona).

According to Herold, this isn’t just about giving the area a new name. She argues coastal towns and barrier islands are under-served by their current county governments — especially on issues like beach upkeep, erosion control, and “taxation without representation.” Hence, a new county government might better focus on those unique coastal concerns.

As of late November 2025, the petition has only gathered somewhere between 50 and 100 signatures — a far cry from anything that would realistically catch the eye of state lawmakers.

Of course, even if enough local support existed, this would still need approval from the state legislature and the governor to become official. Last time Florida got a new county was nearly a century ago — in 1925.

Prepare For Liberal Outrage

Okay — let’s be honest: naming a county “Trump County” feels like the political equivalent of painting the walls bright red and shouting “Take that!” at half the country. Especially in a swing state like Florida, it’s about as subtle as a firework on the Fourth of July.

It’s less “civic reform” and more “political messaging.” The petition doesn’t just ask for better beach maintenance — it’s effectively a giant billboard: “We support Trump. Loudly.” That’s exactly the kind of thing some folks will see as patriotism … and others squarely as provocation.

The fact that she’s trying to rework local government boundaries just to attach a hyper-partisan flag to the region? That’s not boring bureaucracy. That’s trolling — with public policy. It’s almost like she’s looking for reactions, hoping headlines read “New Trump County” so she can say: “See? They hate it.”

If nothing else, it’ll make for a heck of a conversation next time someone pulls up a map of Florida and says: “Wait — what’s Trump County doing there? Is this real life?”

What’s Real — And What’s Not

• This is not a done deal. The petition is still tiny (dozens of signatures), nowhere near the hundreds or thousands you’d need for serious legislative consideration. WBBH+2Action News Jax+2
• The logistics are messy: Carving out parts of three existing counties, realigning services, governance, taxation, representation — that kind of restructuring doesn’t happen overnight.
• It’s as much symbolic as it is structural. The underlying needs (coastal management, tax representation, local governance) might be real. But naming it “Trump County” makes this more of a political stunt than a policy proposal.

So here’s the bottom line: “Trump County” is about as serious as a novelty license plate. It might never become official — heck, it might never even come close to a vote. But as a statement, it’s perfect. It’s a provocation.

And in a world where political theater often feels like the only sport left, “Trump County” is less a plan, more a punchline.

If nothing else, it’ll be fun to watch the meltdown unfold.