The co-hosts of ABC’s “The View” recently addressed President Donald Trump’s move to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. In one of the first executive orders Trump signed on Inauguration Day, he moved to rename the body of water after the United States, proclaiming that it was an integral part of the Nation.
While the panel on the daytime talk show had varying opinions about the Trump move, Joy Behar voiced criticism that the United States was “named after a white man,” in defense of Native Americans. Behar maintained that it was inappropriate for President Trump to be so focused on the renaming of the body of water.
“This country that we’re in was settled by indigenous people, right? And yet they named the country after an Italian White man, Amerigo Vespucci. That’s what America is named after, Amerigo Vespucci, a White European,” Behar initially said. “Why was it named after a White man if it was settled by indigenous people?” she continued.
However, some of Behar’s co-hosts had differing opinions. “The body of water south of China, which much of the world calls the South China Sea, China calls it South Sea, Vietnam calls it Eastern Sea and the Philippines has designated parts of it the West Philippines Sea,” co-host Sarah Haines said, claiming it was a common practice. “So it happens.”
Furthermore, Alyssa Farah Griffin explained that the new name is more “inclusive” than the former. “I don’t hate renaming the Gulf of America, and I’m going to tell you why. It’s a more inclusive term. It is North America, Mexico and the United States are part of the Americas. It would be petty if he called it the ‘Gulf of the United States,’” she stated. “These are the things Donald Trump does to trigger reaction from the media.”
Earlier this month, Trump issued a proclamation that February 9 would be known as “Gulf of America Day.” The president said, “Today, I am very honored to recognize February 9, 2025, as the first-ever Gulf of America Day.” Speaking about his executive order, he continued, “On January 20, 2025, I signed Executive Order 14172 (“Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness”).”
He added, “Among other actions, that Executive Order required the Secretary of the Interior, acting pursuant to 43 U.S.C. 364 through 364f, to “take all appropriate actions to rename as the ‘Gulf of America’ the U.S. Continental Shelf area bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the State of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida and extending to the seaward boundary with Mexico and Cuba in the area formerly named as the Gulf of Mexico.”
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Watch a clip of Behar’s commentary below:
Explaining the motivations for the renaming, Trump said, “I took this action in part because, as stated in that Order, “[t]he area formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico has long been an integral asset to our once burgeoning Nation and has remained an indelible part of America.” He noted, “Today, I am making my first visit to the Gulf of America since its renaming. As my Administration restores American pride in the history of American greatness, it is fitting and appropriate for our great Nation to come together and commemorate this momentous occasion and the renaming of the Gulf of America.”
Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.