“Heading to the Coast” has a different meaning for Texans now that Google Maps officially renamed the body of water that makes up the state’s only coastline.
The change to the “Gulf of America” by the tech giant follows three weeks after President Donald Trump declared the federal government would no longer call the body the “Gulf of Mexico.” The renaming took place as part of orange-hued reality show star’s “Restoring Names that Honor American Greatness” executive order, signed Jan. 20.
Trump also signed a proclamation this Sunday declaring Feb. 9 the inaugural “Gulf of America Day.”
How exciting.
“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,” the proclamation stated.
It’s worth noting that Google CEO Sundar Pichai was among the tech billionaires who attended Trump’s inauguration.
Although Google caved to Trump’s renaming, as of press time Apple Maps is still calling the Gulf of Mexico, well, the “Gulf of Mexico.”
What’s more, Mount Denali, another target of Trump’s executive order, hasn’t reverted back its former name, Mount McKinley, on either Google’s or Apple’s mapping app.
Trump’s continued obsession with renaming landmarks to honor “American greatness” comes as his administration faces a litany of actual geopolitical crises.
The Department of Education canceled $900 million in research funding this week after an audit by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency Department, and the president’s new tariffs continue to draw warnings from economists about their potential to destabilize the world economy.
Meanwhile, China has reached out to developing nations to offer millions in financial aid following the White House’s decision to defund USAID.
But hey, renaming a body of water is one way to distract the masses.
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This article appears in Feb 5-18, 2025.
