President-elect Donald Trump is preparing for his inauguration on January 20.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Jan. 7, the 78-year-old announced his plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico.
“We are going to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America,” Trump told reporters. “Which has an exquisite ring. That covers a lot of ground. The Gulf of America, what a lovely name. And it is appropriate. It is appropriate.
Trump, known for his tough stance on immigration, went on to say, “And Mexico has to stop allowing millions of people to pour into our country.”
He also described Mexico as a “very dangerous place,” claiming it is “essentially run by the cartels.”
Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene quickly confirmed on X that she is drafting legislation to make Trump’s wish a reality.
“I’ll be introducing legislation ASAP to officially change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to its rightful name, the Gulf of America!” Greene captioned a video of Trump’s remarks.
The Gulf of Mexico is the area of the Atlantic Ocean bordered by Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, and Texas in the United States, as well as Mexico and Cuba.
According to the US Energy Information Administration, federal offshore oil production in the Gulf of Mexico will account for 14% of total US crude oil production in 2024, while federal offshore natural gas production in the Gulf will account for 5% of total US dry production.
Trump has spoken out several times before his inauguration, threatening to impose tariffs on both Mexico and its neighbor Canada.
Trump’s threat of a 25% tariff increase on Canadian goods has been cited as one of the reasons Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his intention to resign on Monday, January 6, as soon as a replacement is found.
In response to Trudeau’s announcement, Trump sarcastically wrote on Truth Social, “Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State,” referencing his recurring joke that Canada should not be its own country.
“If Canada merged with the U.S., there would be no Tariffs, taxes would go way down, and they would be TOTALLY SECURE from the threat of the Russian and Chinese Ships that are constantly surrounding them,” according to him. “Together, what a great Nation it would be!!!”
