Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday joined in on the hypothetical renaming of the Gulf of Mexico after President-elect Donald Trump vowed to change the name to the "Gulf of America" a day earlier.
The far-right governor threw Texas’ hat in the ring with another suggestion of paying homage to the Lone Star State – one of several states that borders the body of water.
“If we are going to rename things …. this is the move,” Abbott posted to his X account above a photo with the words “Gulf of Texas” written over a map. Abbott quoted a post from a Galveston vacation rental property that first thought up the Texas-inspired name change earlier Wednesday.
“We all know what it really is…” The Salty Dog Galveston posted to their X account, which has since been viewed over 230,000 times.
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The renaming frenzy began Tuesday when Trump during a rambling news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort first promised that he would soon change the name to “Gulf of America.” That sparked Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA) to quickly file legislation to advance the idea, and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to weigh in with a terse statement.
Sheinbaum at a morning news conference Wednesday trolled Trump with a vintage map showing that a large portion of what is now the U.S. used to be called "Mexican America."
Changing the name of a major geographical feature like the Gulf of Mexico is an intricate process, involving "proposals from governments, discussions among bordering countries, and possibly input from international organizations like the UNGEGN," according to Houston TV station KPRC-TV.
"The U.S. Board on Geographic Names can oversee changes within the U.S., but international acceptance and updates to maps and documents are necessary for widespread adoption," the station added.
