In a move aimed at celebrating American heritage and influence, former President Donald Trump signed a draft order to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. This decision, praised in the order for highlighting the region's significance in maritime industry and energy production, reflects Trump's vision to honor "American greatness." The renamed Gulf of America also plays a crucial role in international commerce, tourism, fishing, and recreation.
The renaming initiative holds particular significance for Trump, who expressed a sense of kinship with William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States. Trump regards McKinley as "a great president, very good president. At a minimum, he was a very good businessman. He was a businessman, then a governor, very successful businessman." McKinley was assassinated in 1901 and is recognized for his contributions to America's economic prosperity.
The draft order further emphasizes McKinley's historic legacy, stating:
"President McKinley is honored for giving his life for our great nation and dutifully recognized for his historic legacy of protecting America’s interests and generating enormous wealth for our nation."
The decision to change the Gulf's name is part of a broader effort by Trump to renew American values, as highlighted in the executive order:
"President Trump is bringing common sense to government and renewing the pillars of American civilization."
Trump expressed satisfaction with the chosen name:
"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, the Gulf of America. What a beautiful name and it’s appropriate."
The executive order directs the Secretary of the Interior to update federal communications and official maps to reflect this change.
The renaming effort draws parallels with Trump's interest in Mount McKinley, which was unofficially named after William McKinley by a gold prospector in 1896 but was officially changed to Denali by President Barack Obama in 2015. The mountain's original name, Denali, was given by Koyukon speakers of the Koyukon Athabaskans in Alaska. Despite attempts by Alaska to officially recognize the name Denali since 1975, opposition from Ohio's congressional delegation, McKinley's home state, delayed this change.