Speaking at Mar-a-Lago in his first press conference since Congress confirmed his election victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, President-elect Donald Trump announced plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America,” calling it a fitting and beautiful change.
Not everyone is convinced, not even members of the president's own party here in Louisiana, where Mr. Trump enjoys a high level of support.
Chalmette Representative Mike Bayham says he’s generally against renaming things like this.
‘I think things that have been known for a long time, or centuries in this case should have their names preserved,” Bayham said.
Trump did not elaborate on the process for renaming the body of water. Bayham says he thinks there are more pressing issues to deal with than a name change to the Gulf.
“I think we’ve got some greater priorities for this country than renaming a body of water,” he said.
Bayham says the focus should be on foreign policy issues left over from the Biden Administration and that will take years. Especially since even if Trump gets the Gulf renamed, it's not stopping anyone from continuing to call it the Gulf of Mexico.
“You can call anything whatever you like. That doesn’t mean everyone else and the world has to call it that way. President Trump’s gonna have a long talk with the National Geographic Society,” said Bayham.
