Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum launched a scathing dig at Donald Trump on Wednesday in response to his plan to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America.’
Sheinbaum dramatically unveiled a map dating back to the 1600s which showed an early designation of North America with the title ‘America Mexicana’ in giant letters.
And she said a document dating from 1814, that preceded Mexico’s constitution, referred that way to the area that now includes the United States.
‘Mexican America, that sounds nice, no?’ she said sarcastically, pointing to a massive image of the 17th Century map behind her. ‘He talked about name, we too are talking about the name.’
She made her comments during her daily press briefing in Mexico City, one day after Trump announced he wants to rename the Gulf of Mexico.
‘We’ll be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring,’ Trump told reporters in Florida.
‘That covers a lot of territory. The Gulf of America. What a beautiful name. It is appropriate,’ he insisted.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum shows a world map from the 1600s that shows North America during her press conference in Mexico City on January 8 after Trump says he wants to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America’
Sheinbaum also noted on Wednesday that the Gulf of Mexico name is recognized by the United Nations.
She was joined by cultural adviser Alfonso Suarez del Real who detailed the backstory of the ‘Mexican America’ name for North America.
‘The fact is that Mexican America is recognized since the 17th Century… as the name for the whole northern part of the continent,’ Suarez del Real said.
He added that the Gulf of Mexico’s name was internationally recognized and used as a navigational reference for hundreds of years.
Mexico’s presidential adviser Alfonso Suarez del Real explaining the Gulf of Mexico was named through a constitutional decree during a press conference in Mexico City after Trump said he wanted to rename it ‘Gulf of America’
Trump announced he wants to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the ‘Gulf of America’
Trump added he wants to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico (sea on the right) to the ‘Gulf of America’. He added it was a ‘beautiful name’
Sheinbaum’s jab at Trump was not the first time she’s gone head-to-head with the president-elect as he prepares to return to office in less than two weeks.
Last year, Trump threatened tariffs on Mexico and claimed the neighboring country was not doing enough to stop the flow of drugs and immigrants across the southern U.S. border.
Sheinbaum wrote a fiery letter in response. In it she blasted Trump for perhaps being unaware of the actions Mexico has already been taking to address the issue.
She also threatened to respond in kind if the U.S. slapped 25 percent tariffs on imports from Mexico.
After Trump announced his plan to rename the Gulf of Mexico, Republican lawmakers signaled their support for the move.
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) announced she would introduce a bill to change the Gulf of Mexico’s name and argued the entire world should use ‘Gulf of America.’
The proposed legislation directs the commerce secretary to oversee implementing the new name across U.S. government documents and maps.
If Trump was able to change the Gulf of Mexico’s name, other countries would not necessarily have to go along with it.
While Sheinbaum’s joke quickly ricocheted across social media feeds, it also set the tone for what her relationship with Trump could look like in the coming years.
‘Humor can be a good tactic, it projects strength, which is what Trump responds to. It was probably the right choice on this issue,’ said Brian Winter, vice president of the New York-based Council of the Americas.
‘Although President Sheinbaum knows it won’t work on everything – Trump and his administration will demand serious engagement from Mexico on the big issues of immigration, drugs and trade.’
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