Donald Trump has sparked yet another international controversy after renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
The U.S. President signed the ‘Gulf of America Day’ proclamation mid-flight aboard Air Force One on Sunday, as he flew over the body of water on his way to Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans.
The move, part of Trump’s wider effort to put an American stamp on landmarks, follows his administration’s decision last month to revert Alaska’s Denali back to Mount McKinley. The Trump-led Interior Department confirmed the name change and insisted it was “a long-overdue correction” that reflected American heritage.
As expected, the decision has already drawn backlash from Mexico, with coastal residents calling it “absurd” and insisting that the historic name must remain. Despite this, Google Maps announced on January 27 that it will update its U.S. maps to reflect the name change, though it will continue to display ‘Gulf of Mexico’ in Mexico.
Internationally, the situation is more complicated. While Trump can direct U.S. agencies to update official records, the United Nations and global cartographers are unlikely to recognize the change.
One Mexican official ridiculed the move, saying, “The water isn’t going to start speaking English just because Trump says so.”
Nevertheless, the President remains unapologetic, touting the renaming as another victory for American pride. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, he declared, “It’s America’s Gulf, always has been. We’re just making it official.”
With Mexico and international bodies unlikely to follow suit, the world may now be left with a split identity for one of the most significant bodies of water on the planet.
