Juan Villarreal Mussetto
During an event in Baltimore with members of the U.S. Navy, Donald Trump claimed that Claudia Sheinbaum contacted him to convince him not to alter the name of the Gulf of Mexico. Recounting the alleged exchange, the U.S. president mimicked the Mexican president's reaction in a pleading tone, repeating, “No, no, please,” playing out the scene mockingly before the audience.
According to Trump's account, Sheinbaum reached out after he announced the change to ask him to back down from the initiative. The U.S. president maintained that the conversation was cordial, but insisted he made it clear his mind was already made up.
Trump went so far as to mimic the Mexican president's alleged reaction in front of the crowd, re-enacting the plea he claimed she made during their talk: asking him not to go through with the name change.
The U.S. president also attempted to justify his stance by citing the extent of both nations' coastlines along the gulf. He claimed that the United States accounts for 93% of the coastline, while Mexico represents just 7%.
However, that distribution does not match official data. Records from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and estimates from the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (Conabio), based on geospatial data from the Flanders Marine Institute, show a much more even balance.
According to those assessments, Mexico accounts for approximately 47.67% of the Gulf of Mexico's maritime territory, compared to 44.75% belonging to the United States.
Sheinbaum stands firm in rejecting “Gulf of America”
The Mexican president has repeatedly questioned Trump’s initiative, maintaining that “Gulf of Mexico” remains the internationally recognized designation.
The naming dispute even prompted ironic remarks from Sheinbaum. In one of her public responses on the matter, she playfully suggested referring to the United States as “Mexican America.”
Trump has formally pushed for the name change, turning the measure into yet another flashpoint between Washington and the Mexican government.
