During remarks made on Tuesday at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, former President Donald Trump revealed his intentions to rename the body of water situated between Miami and Cancun. “We’re going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America,” Trump declared. “Gulf of America – what a beautiful name. And it’s appropriate.” He did not provide specific details regarding the timeline or process for implementing this change, indicating that such information would be forthcoming at a later date. “We’re going to change,” he asserted, “because we do most of the work there, and it’s ours.”
In support of this proposed renaming, Sheinbaum Pardo referenced a map dating back to 1607 that identified a rough illustration of North America as “America Mexicana,” or Mexican America, alongside the designation of the Gulf of Mexico, which even then served as a crucial maritime point of reference. Additionally, Sheinbaum Pardo presented a separate map from the 19th century delineating the expansive territory that previously fell under Mexican sovereignty, encompassing areas that now correspond to the U.S. states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico.
Tensions between Mexico and the United States have escalated, with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador engaging in a war of words with President Trump in response to the latter’s threats of imposing tariffs on Mexican goods unless action is taken to curtail the flow of migrants heading towards the U.S. southern border. López Obrador emphasized Mexico’s efforts to fortify its borders and interdict individuals traversing northward, resulting in a notable decline in unauthorized immigration at the U.S.-Mexico boundary.
“We’re going to call it Mexican America,” López Obrador remarked. “It sounds pretty, no?” This exchange of proposed name alterations reflects the ongoing dialogue between the two nations amid broader discussions concerning immigration policies and cross-border relations.
Francesca Chambers contributed to the coverage of this development. For further inquiries, please contact Lauren Villagran at lvillagran@usatoday.com.
This report was first published on USA TODAY: ‘Mexican America?’ Mexico president offers another name change.
