Washington, United States:
US President Donald Trump, who took oath on Monday, announced his plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America’ from his inauguration stage. While this has been in talks for some time now, a video of former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton bursting into laughter when Mr Trump made the announcement has become the talk of the town.
In a viral video, Mr Trump said, “A short time from now, we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America”.
Reacting to this, seated Ms Clinton looked down and chuckled. Her husband and former US President Bill Clinton, who was sitting next to her, turned towards her and smiled softly.
However, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Doug Emhoff – sitting in front of Ms Clinton – did not show any expressions.
The newly-elected US President in his inaugural address said he would rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, asserting that this is the appropriate thing to do. “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,” he said.
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“And it’s appropriate. It’s appropriate,” Mr Trump asserted, without giving a timeline for the move.
-Can the Gulf of Mexico be renamed?
There is also no formal international agreement or protocol for the naming of maritime areas, nor does any international body have the final word on maritime names. However, the International Hydrographic Bureau (IHB) seeks to standardise names and resolve disputes.
The Gulf of Mexico has retained its name for centuries. Renaming this would require logistical challenges, including updates to maps and international agreements.
At present, Mr Trump has signed an executive order for the name change.
Mexico President rejects Trump’s renaming pitch
Earlier this month, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responded to Mr Trump’s suggestion to rename the Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America’, suggesting that instead it can be called ‘Mexican America’.
“Why don’t we call it Mexican America? It sounds nice, no?” the 62-year-old Mexican leader said.
She had also said that Mr Trump’s assertion that violent drug cartels controlled Mexico was “incorrect”.
