President-elect Donald Trump introduced Tuesday that he desires to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America,” as a result of “it’s ours.”
“We’re going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring that covers a lot of territory,” Trump stated of the ocean basin that borders 5 U.S. states to the north and Mexico to the south.
It’s carried some model of the Gulf of Mexico title, given to it by Spanish colonizers, for the reason that 1540s.
“The Gulf of America ― what a beautiful name. And it’s appropriate,” Trump stated at a information convention, additionally asserting: “We do most of the work there. It’s ours.”
One of many United States’ greatest impacts on the Gulf was the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, when a BP-operated prospect prompted the largest marine oil spill in petroleum trade historical past. Regardless of the occasion constituting one of many largest environmental disasters in world historical past, Trump weakened rules to stop future spills throughout his first time period within the White Home.
Trump’s title change would haven’t any sensible impact on the Gulf’s maritime boundaries between the U.S. and Mexico, and in follow, no nation can personal worldwide waters. And if different renaming efforts provide any indication, the price of figuring out, modifying and eradicating property referring to the Gulf of Mexico may carry a price ticket within the multimillions.
Scott Olson through Getty Photographs
Not lengthy after Trump’s remarks Tuesday, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) introduced she would file laws to make Trump’s proposed title change. Past that, it’s unclear how a possible renaming course of would play out.
Trump will not be the primary one to pitch the brand new title, however he will be the first one to take action severely. In 2012, former Mississippi state Rep. Stephen Holland, a Democrat, launched laws proposing the identical title change. He later stated he launched the invoice as a little bit of satire to criticize his Republican colleagues’ anti-Mexican sentiments.
Trump additionally vowed final month to rename Denali, Alaskan natives’ title for the tallest mountain in North America, to Mount McKinley. The mountain was known as Mount McKinley till 2015, when then-President Barack Obama sided with native Alaskans’ objection to the title honoring former President William McKinley.
“They took his name off Mount McKinley,” Trump stated in a speech. “He was a great president,” he continued, including that his administration will “bring back the name of Mount McKinley because I think he deserves it.”
McKinley by no means visited the mountain and had no important historic connection to both Denali or Alaska, Obama famous when he signed off on the change.
Trump has additionally stated he’ll reverse Fort Liberty’s 2021 title change from Fort Bragg, which was initially named after accomplice commander Braxton Bragg.
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“I think I just learned the secret to winning absolutely and by massive margins. I’m going to promise to you … that we’re going to change the name back to Fort Bragg,” he stated in October.
Trump’s proposed title change for the Gulf comes a day after he advised the USA ought to purchase Canada, claiming “Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State.”
