Donald Trump joked during a White House press briefing marking the one-year anniversary of his second term that he had once considered renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of Trump but ultimately decided not to do so.
U.S. President Donald Trump stirred controversy again by joking during a White House press conference that he had thought about renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of Trump, but feared he might be killed if he did. He added that he genuinely wanted to do it because his team worked hard, but was warned it might be inappropriate. However, he teased that "Gulf of Trump" does sound fitting and maybe he still might do it, saying it’s not too late yet.
These remarks came amid ongoing tensions between the White House and the Associated Press (AP), which began in February 2025 when the White House started restricting AP’s access to limited-space events such as briefings in the Oval Office and trips aboard Air Force One.
The main cause was AP Stylebook, the globally influential guide for language and journalism, recommending reporters continue to use "Gulf of Mexico" and noting that Trump wanted to rename it "Gulf of America"—though that was not an official name—to avoid confusing readers.
AP stated that being excluded from the White House press pool was a government punishment for not adopting the president’s preferred terminology in every instance. This exclusion prevented AP journalists from accessing key events not open to all media.
Subsequently, AP filed a lawsuit against President Trump, alleging the government violated the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment right to free speech.
In April, a district court ruled in favor of AP, stating the government cannot punish media organizations for their coverage. However, in June, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued a temporary stay on that ruling, leaving the legal dispute ongoing.
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