Trump's Controversial Plan to Rename the Gulf of Mexico and Mount McKinley

President-elect Donald Trump has proposed renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America." This plan is part of a broader offensive against Mexico, which Trump has called "very dangerous" and "in a lot of trouble."

Trump's plan to rename the gulf appears to be based on the belief that the U.S. does the "most work" on the gulf and that the body of water should bear America's name "because it's ours." However, ownership of the gulf is up for debate, as the nations with the most "control" over the gulf are the U.S., Mexico, and Cuba, and they have shared the body of water for years.

While the U.S. could pass legislation requiring a name change in state and federal language, there would be nothing forcing other nations to adhere to that decision. If Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo is taking Trump's threats to rename the gulf seriously, she hasn't shown it publicly.

Trump has also proposed imposing tariffs on both Mexico and Canada if the nations do not meet his demands for stopping illegal immigration and curbing drug trafficking. He claimed that America's neighbors are responsible for significant amounts of drug and illegal immigrant crossings, but did not provide data or evidence for his claims.

Sheinbaum Pardo has responded to Trump's threats to impose tariffs, telling the former president that the cartel violence in Mexico — and the instability it causes — is fueled by American demand for illegal drugs and US-made weapons being smuggled into the country.