It happened fast. Basically right after the 2025 inauguration, Donald Trump signed an executive order that sent cartographers and newsrooms into a tailspin. He wanted the Gulf of Mexico gone. Or, more accurately, he wanted it rebranded.
On January 20, 2025, Executive Order 14172 was signed. Its title was "Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness." It didn't just target a body of water; it also flipped Denali back to Mount McKinley. But the one that really got people talking—and arguing—was the directive to federal agencies to stop saying "Gulf of Mexico" and start saying Gulf of America.
Why? It sounds like a small thing, right? A name on a map. But for Trump, it was never just about the map. It was about the branding of the "America First" doctrine.
The Logic Behind the Switch
Honestly, if you look at how Trump views the world, this move makes a weird kind of sense. During a press conference at Mar-a-Lago just before the inauguration, he basically said the name "Gulf of Mexico" didn't reflect who was doing the heavy lifting in those waters.
"We do most of the work there," he told reporters. "It’s ours."
The administration’s official line, pushed by the Department of the Interior, was that the Gulf is a "cornerstone of the Nation’s growth." They pointed to the massive energy production, the fisheries, and the ports that line the coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. To them, the name was a tribute to the economic power the U.S. exerts over the region.
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But there's a technical catch. The Executive Order only applies to the U.S. federal government.
That means the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) had to update its databases. Federal maps, contracts, and NOAA weather reports had to switch. But Trump can't actually force Mexico or Cuba to change their maps. He can't even force a private company in Ohio to change its globe. It created this bizarre "split-screen" reality where the name you see depends entirely on who printed the map you’re holding.
Historical Precedents and Political Jokes
Believe it or not, the "Gulf of America" wasn't a brand-new idea Trump dreamt up on a flight. It has a weird, almost satirical history.
In 2012, a Democratic state representative from Mississippi named Steve Holland actually introduced a bill to rename the Gulf. He wasn't being serious, though. He was mocking the GOP’s hardline anti-immigration stances, basically saying, "If you hate Mexico so much, why are we using their name for our water?"
Then there was Stephen Colbert. Back in 2010, after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, he joked that since "we broke it," we might as well buy it and call it the Gulf of America.
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Trump took those punchlines and turned them into federal policy.
Why the Name Change Is Complicated
- International Waters: The Gulf isn't a lake. About 44% of its surface falls under the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, but the rest belongs to Mexico, Cuba, or is considered high seas.
- The 400-Year Rule: The name "Gulf of Mexico" has been used since the 1550s. It comes from "Mexica," the Nahuatl term for the Aztecs. Changing a 500-year-old name is, well, a logistical nightmare.
- The Cost: Think about every textbook, every nautical chart, and every digital database. Updating those isn't free.
The Media War and the "AP Ban"
This is where things got really heated. After the order, the White House expected everyone to just follow suit. Most didn't.
The Associated Press (AP) released a style guidance saying they’d stick with "Gulf of Mexico" because that’s what the rest of the world calls it. In response, the White House actually barred an AP reporter from an Oval Office event in February 2025. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt argued that the name "Gulf of America" was now a "fact," and media outlets were being "disrespectful" by ignoring it.
Even tech giants got dragged into the mess. Google Maps eventually caved, but in a very "tech" way. If you’re searching from within the United States, you see Gulf of America. If you’re in Mexico City? It’s still Gulf of Mexico. Everyone else sees both. It’s localized reality.
What Most People Get Wrong
A lot of people think Trump "renamed" the whole ocean. He didn't. He can't.
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Legally, he renamed the "U.S. Continental Shelf area" within those waters for federal purposes. If you’re a fisherman in international waters, you’re still in the Gulf of Mexico according to the International Hydrographic Organization.
Also, it wasn't just a random whim. It was part of a larger push to "re-Americanize" the landscape. This included the return of Mount McKinley. To the administration, using "Denali" or "Gulf of Mexico" felt like a concession to either indigenous groups or foreign powers. To them, the name change was a reclaim of territory—even if only symbolically.
Practical Impacts for You
If you're wondering how this affects your daily life, the answer is "probably not much," unless you work for the government.
- Travel and Navigation: Most private GPS units and international flight charts still use the old name to avoid confusion. If you're booking a cruise, it'll likely still say "Western Caribbean/Gulf of Mexico."
- Education: If your kids are in a school that uses federally-funded materials, they might start seeing "Gulf of America" in new textbooks.
- Politics: This has become a litmus test. Proponents see it as a sign of national pride. Critics see it as an expensive, unnecessary distraction.
What’s Next?
The name change is currently tied up in a few legal challenges regarding how much power the President has over the Board on Geographic Names (BGN). While the "Gulf of America" is currently the official federal term, its long-term survival depends on whether future administrations keep the executive order in place.
If you're looking to stay updated on how this affects maritime law or local tourism in Florida and Texas, you should check the latest bulletins from the U.S. Department of the Interior or the USGS. They are the ones actually implementing the change on the ground. For now, just keep an eye on your weather app—depending on which one you use, you might be looking at two different versions of the same sea.
Next Step: To see the actual geographic boundaries defined in the order, you can view the updated maps on the USGS National Map viewer.