Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo is now threatening to sue Google over its “Gulf of America” name change on its Maps platform as she offers the tech company a chance to fully restore the “Gulf of Mexico” name before formally filing a lawsuit.
One day after Congress certified President Donald Trump‘s election victory, he revealed his plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America. During a press conference on January 7, Trump discussed various topics and he trash-talked Mexico.
President Trump also said that the U.S. has been “doing most of the work” in the Gulf of Mexico, adding that “it’s ours” and should be renamed. He said:
“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.”
However, President Trump failed to note that the Gulf of Mexico had already been named as such since before the United States was founded. It was also noted that Trump could theoretically rename the area, but other countries don’t have to follow suit.
Mexico’s President Fires Back At Donald Trump’s Gulf Of America Name Change
President Donald Trump’s plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America notably sparked a response from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. President Sheinbaum Pardo, whom Mexican voters elected their first woman president in June 2024, sarcastically clapped back at Trump’s claims.
Taking a page out of Trump’s book, the Mexican president offered to rename the U.S., “América Mexicana” or “Mexican America.” She referred to a founding document from 1814 that shows Mexico’s constitution referring to North America as such, according to The Associated Press. She also stood before a map from 1607, which labeled most of North America as “América Mexicana (Mexican America).”
Donald Trump Officially Signs Gulf Of America Name Change Order And Google Obeys
A month later, on Sunday, February 9, 2025, as Donald Trump sat on Air Force 1 and flew over the Gulf of Mexico to attend the 59th Super Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana, he declared the day the first-ever “Gulf of America Day.” U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who accompanied Trump, posted on X an official USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) map image showing the updated Gulf name. He wrote:
“It’s official! Congratulations @POTUS on the Gulf of America! @Interior has implemented your instruction from the Executive Order on Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness. Another big win for President Trump’s agenda to Make America Great Again.
”
Under President Donald Trump’s executive order, the federal Board on Geographic Names formally changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. As of February 10, Google officially updated its Maps platform to update the name change to Gulf of America. However, again, the name change doesn’t affect what other countries call it or show on their maps.
RELATED: Google Maps To Rename Gulf Of Mexico
Mexican President Threatens To Sue Google Over ‘Gulf Of America’ Name Change On Maps
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo promised to ignore Donald Trump’s executive order while asking others to do the same. Since Google obliged Trump’s request and updated the “Gulf of Mexico” to show as “Gulf of America,” President Sheinbaum Pardo is now threatening to sue. But, she is giving Google Maps an opportunity to restore the “Gulf Of Mexico” name before filing a formal lawsuit.
As of Monday (February 17), Mexico is awaiting a response from Google on its request for the tech company to fully restore the name of “Gulf of Mexico” to its Maps platform. Cris Turner, Google’s Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy, wrote a letter to the Mexican president and nation.
In his letter, Turner said the company used “Gulf of America” to follow “longstanding maps policies impartially and consistently across all regions.” He also said that the company was willing to meet in person with President Sheinbaum Pardo. He wrote:
“While international treaties and conventions are not intended to regulate how private mapping providers represent geographic features, it is our consistent policy to consult multiple authoritative sources to provide the most up-to-date and accurate representation of the world.”
Replying to Turner’s letter, Mexico’s president said, “We will wait for Google’s response and if not, we will proceed to court.”
#Socialites, be sure to check out the post below, then leave us your thoughts in a comment after!